Embassy of India

Vientiane, Laos

My ministerial colleagues,

Ashwini Vaishnaw ji,

Murugan ji,

Excellencies, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure, a great honour to address the Global Media Dialogue of the first WAVES Summit, and I thank the Ministers and distinguished heads of organizations and all the delegates from across the world for your participation and presence here today.

2. We have a microcosm of the global community at WAVES: content creators, policy makers, actors, writers, producers, visual artists and others, and the lively conversations and intense networking that we seek to promote are supplemented by exhibitions, innovation pavilions, creativity bazars and technology kiosks. This conversation at the beginning of day two however holds a special significance, because we are discussing as policy makers the contours of the emerging environment.

3. So, allow me, on this occasion, to make five points for your collective consideration:

(i) One, we all speak of a world order under transformation. It is vital to recognize that the process of change actually has a strong cultural dimension. The truth is that the world is intrinsically and essentially diverse and that pluralism has been suppressed in the past by both colonialism and big power dominance. As we seek now to democratize the international system, it is not enough to just assert political and economic independence. It is equally essential that we give voice to our traditions, to our heritage, to ideas, to practices and to our creativity. There are many voices, many experiences and many truths that make up our world. Each one has a right to express itself and must be facilitated to do so.

(ii) Two, that is best done by harnessing more effectively the power of technology. In its application and evolution, we must be guided by the belief that modernity is not a rejection of the past, but a constant quest built on human achievements. For that reason, technology and tradition must go hand in hand. In many ways, technology can strengthen awareness of our vast heritage and deepen consciousness about it, especially for younger generations. We also bear in mind that innovation is key for leapfrogging that will create a developed India by 2047 – what we call Viksit Bharat.

(iii) Three, as the world comes closer, we can contemplate both a global workplace and a global workforce. Both digital connectivity and physical logistics make this a growing reality. But we need accompanying shifts in mindsets, frameworks, policies and practices. Remember, neither talent nor tasking will be stationary. Smoother mobility can certainly contribute to stronger creativity.

(iv) Four, every era has its own mode of communication, of storytelling, of entertainment and of its pastimes. We have seen it evolve from the oral and written to the visual and the digital. Today, there is a surfeit of information and the challenge is actually how to get attention. This challenge is what will make ours an age of creative-coms, of creative sports, of creative collaborations. And it is particularly important that young talent is made ready for it including through skills diffusion.

(v) And finally, five, we all sense, we all know that the era of AI holds possibilities beyond imagination. Never before have we visualized such deep changes across such vast domains. Never before can we combine innovations from such diverse fields so effectively. Our very sense of the past and the present can be redefined even as we are working for the future, with all its accompanying consequences. Now, every advancement comes with its own issues and AI will be no different. Even as the politics of this era will grapple with the concerns of authenticity, businesses will have to deal with new intellectual property challenges as they promote innovation and creativity for all. The responsible use of emerging technologies will be an increasing preoccupation. Reducing bias, democratizing content and prioritizing its ethics are all part of the emerging discourse. And there is much more there that will unfold.

4. So, friends, I am confident that the WAVES platform will serve to deliberate on the key issues before the global media, entertainment and creative worlds. Once again, I welcome you all to this session and look forward to a productive roundtable. I thank you for your attention.

Mumbai
May 02, 2025