From Orange Economy to 1 billion untold stories: Top quotes from PM Modi's address at WAVES 2025

PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 1 inaugurated the first World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai. The summit, which will have an extensive list of speakers from the entertainment world, aims to boost the potential of the media and entertainment industry.

Here are the top quotes by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the event:

• Orange Economy: "It is the beginning of the orange economy in India. Indian films' reach is across the world," PM Modi said. "India's food is getting popular across the world. And I know, India's music too will gain popularity around the world," he added.

• Viksit Bharat's journey has only started: "India will soon become the world's third-largest economy. India is already number one in global fintech adoption rate. It's the world's second-largest mobile manufacturer. India is the world's third-largest startup ecosystem. Viksit Bharat's journey has only started. The country has a lot to offer. Along with a billion-plus population, it is also a land of billion-plus stories," PM Modi said.

• Free flowing creativity: "Youth don't have any baggage in their creativity. It is free flowing. I have met gamers and other creators. I follow the work of creators on social media. Reels, podcast, animation - our young minds are doing good work in these formats. WAVES is for the young generation. WAVES will help the youth redefine the entertainment industry," PM Modi said.

• People's Padma Awards: PM Modi said his government has made the Padma awards 'People's Padma Awards'. "WAVES will give a platform to the talent from across India in music, gaming and animation," he said.

• Wave of culture, creativity and universal connect: "Artists, innovators, investors, policy makers from over 100 countries have gathered here. WAVES is not just an acronym. It actually is a wave. It is a wave of culture, creativity and universal connect. On this wave are riding films, animation, gaming, the whole universe of creativity. Every creator can join the creative world with a new idea," PM Modi said.

• OTT’s screen size is small but scope is huge: PM Modi said OTT space has grown significantly over the years. "OTT has grown 10X in India in the recent years. Screen size is small but scope is huge. Screen is micro but growth is significant," he added.

• Tell your 1 billion untold stories: Addressing Indian youth, PM Modi said, "Tell your 1 billion untold stories to the world."

• India's first feature film: "Raja Harishchandra, India's first feature film, was released 112 years ago today, on May 1. In the last century, Indian cinema has been successful in making India popular in every part of the world. This is evident from Raj Kapoor's popularity in Russia, Satyajit Ray's popularity at Cannes, and RRR's success at the Oscars," PM Modi said.

• India's treasure of stories: "India is a land of a billion-plus stories. When the world is looking for new ways of storytelling, India has a history of stories which is timeless and thought-provoking. And it is not just about culture, it is about science, sports and more. This treasure should be taken to the world and it is the responsibility of the WAVE platform," he said.

• India's animation: PM Modi said the global animation industry is currently worth $430 billion and it will double in 10 years. "This is an opportunity for India's animation and VFX segment," he said.