India hosts first ‘Global Media Dialogue’
Mumbai: To bolster its global engagement in the media and entertainment (M&E) space, India is hosting the Global Media Dialogue (GMD) for the first time, on the sidelines of the WAVES 2025 summit in Mumbai, commenced on Thursday. The dialogue is drawing high-level participation from over 60 countries, including Russia, Japan, the UK, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, with many sending ministerial delegations.
The GMD seeks to facilitate international collaboration, policy alignment, talent exchange, and capacity building across borders—areas increasingly crucial in an age defined by rapid digital transformation and evolving audience consumption patterns.
A central highlight of the dialogue will be the ‘WAVES Declaration’, a joint statement that will reaffirm the global media community’s commitment to cooperation and shared growth.
India’s strategic intent is further underscored by a series of bilateral meetings scheduled with more than 10 countries, along with global organisations like the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
The significance of the event is further amplified by the presence of top Indian leaders such as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Information and Broadcast, Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan.
On the other hand, during the inaugural day, the mega summit opened with a compelling panel discussion titled “Indian M&E @100: Reimagining the Future of Media and Entertainment”, moderated by media analyst Vanita Kohli Khandekar. She mapped the sector’s meteoric rise from a Rs 500 crore industry in 2000 to a Rs 70,000 crore behemoth today, attributing the transformation to pivotal policy decisions.
Vinit Karnik, Head of Sports, Esports and Entertainment at GroupM South Asia, emphasised the need for more “humanised” content that resonates with diverse audiences, even amid growing technological disruption.
Rajan Navani, CEO of JetSynthesys, highlighted the growing preference for interactive, cross-platform content, and advocated for greater investment in talent development.
