Bollywood star Shraddha Kapoor and Instagram Head Adam Mosseri had a lively discussion about India's quickly changing digital landscape at the WAVES 2025 summit in Goa.
The discussion focused on how the nation is quickly becoming a global leader in digital innovation, content production, and online culture, especially thanks to its young people and creators from a variety of backgrounds.
A significant part of the discussion revolved around the rise of meme culture in India—a phenomenon both lighthearted and culturally influential. Kapoor enthusiastically remarked, "And we have a really strong meme culture in India," to which Mosseri responded with a smile, "I have started to see that."
In a moment that resonated with the audience, Kapoor turned to the crowd and asked, "Who loves memes?" raising her own hand in a show of solidarity with meme lovers across the country.
She added candidly, "I consider myself to be a meme addict, and I am constantly sending (memes) to my friends, my family, and we share on our WhatsApp as well and be like oh look at this meme it's so funny and then maybe take some inspiration from that, spin a caption around it or something. If one has to call it a strategy and just having fun with just like that."
Mosseri also shared his hopes for how people engage with the platform professionally, saying, "I hope is that for people who are using Instagram as work to augment or to amplify what they do, I hope that it’s also fun, that it feels joy and doesn’t feel like a chore then I am happy to hear that."
Kapoor chimed in with a reflection on the growing influence of Indian meme creators, saying, "Absolutely, in fact we have our meme creators, Adam, we have followers, equivalent to population of some countries and that side of creativity in it and has a lot of fans in our country. People are consuming that and really enjoying themselves with that. So it's a lot of fun."
The conversation also explored the rising dominance of vernacular content and regional creators who are connecting with audiences in their native languages. Kapoor underlined the value of inclusivity in India’s content space, stating, "The future of digital content is multilingual and multicultural." The sentiment resonated strongly, particularly in a nation as linguistically rich as India.
Kapoor made a kind, intimate gesture to commemorate Maharashtra Day and showcase India's cultural legacy in the digital era. She prepared and served Mosseri puran poli, a traditional flatbread sweetened with lentils and jaggery, as an invitation to sample a bit of Maharashtra cuisine.
Kapoor posted a video of herself preparing and serving the dish on social media, capturing the sentimental moment.
The spirit of WAVES 2025—crossing cultural boundaries through digital communication—was aptly captured in this symbolic exchange.
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Offering puran poli represented the blending of contemporary digital communication with India's rich traditions and went beyond simply sharing food. It served as a reminder that maintaining and honouring cultural identity is still crucial despite increased global connectivity and digitalisation.
Both Kapoor and Mosseri expressed hope for the future of India's digital scene as the session drew to a close, seeing it as a place where joy is still at the core of content creation, diversity is acknowledged, and creativity flourishes.
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