The Impressive TimesNew Delhi, February 6, 2026 : The Government has outlined a series of policy initiatives aimed at strengthening India’s creative economy and supporting content creators, while ensuring an open, safe, trusted and accountable cyberspace for users, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
Responding to a question in the Upper House, Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw said the government recognises the growing potential of the creative economy in generating employment and economic opportunities for Indian youth, particularly in emerging digital and media sectors.
A key pillar of this effort has been the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, organised in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of positioning India as a global hub for content creation. The summit sought to boost India’s “orange economy” by integrating creativity, culture and content into a structured engine for economic growth and global outreach under the theme “Create in India, Create for the World.”
WAVES 2025 focused on bridging gaps in financing, skilling and international market access for creators. The event witnessed participation of over one lakh people from more than 100 countries and featured over 140 sessions, including plenaries, masterclasses and breakout discussions with global industry leaders.
Among the key outcomes was WaveX, a platform designed to promote startup-led innovation in the media and entertainment sector. WaveX enabled 30 startups to pitch their ideas to investors during a live pitching event and facilitated exhibitions for over 100 startups. The government has since established the first WaveX incubation centre at the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, with additional centres being operationalised across the country.
Another major initiative, WAVES Bazaar, was launched as a marketplace for scripts, music, comics and audio-visual rights, creating new revenue opportunities for creators. The platform is being continued year-round and has participated in over 10 international markets across four continents, facilitating business-to-business meetings, MoUs and potential investment leads for Indian creators and companies.
The Create in India Challenge (CIC), a nationwide creative talent hunt across 33 categories including animation, gaming, AR/VR and music, attracted over one lakh registrations from creators worldwide. Winners of the challenge are being supported for participation in major international cultural platforms and national industry events, positioning CIC as a pipeline for talent discovery and intellectual property creation.
To institutionalise skilling and innovation, the government has established the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, as a National Centre of Excellence for AVGC-XR. The institute provides industry-aligned training, startup incubation, advanced infrastructure and collaboration with global technology partners.
The Minister also highlighted initiatives by Prasar Bharati to integrate digital creators into public service broadcasting. Programmes such as “Creator’s Corner,” aired on DD News and DD National, provide national exposure to micro-influencers and emerging voices while ensuring algorithmic transparency and retention of intellectual property rights by creators.
On the regulatory front, the government reiterated that the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 are designed to promote a fair and accountable digital ecosystem. The rules mandate transparency, content moderation standards and grievance redressal mechanisms for social media platforms, offering indirect protection to creators and users. Non-compliance may result in intermediaries losing liability exemptions under the IT Act, 2000.
The government has also established structured monetisation and distribution frameworks for independent creators through the WAVES OTT platform. Additionally, the Union Budget 2026–27 provides for supporting IICT Mumbai in setting up AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges across the country.
The information was provided by Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on February 6, 2026.
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