Mumbai: The 8th National Community Radio Conference was organized by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, on the sidelines of the World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), in Mumbai today. Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. L. Murugan honoured 12 outstanding community radio stations with the 10th National Community Radio Awards at the event.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr L. Murugan congratulated the winners and said that the national conference is aimed to strengthen the community media landscape in India through innovation, inclusiveness, and impact. The Union Minister of State said that Community Radio is a tool to reach out to citizens in all corners of the country. The Community Radios around the country are serving some or the other welfare purpose and supporting good causes, including promotion of Indian tradition and culture, he added. The community radio stations are also taking PM Shri Narendra Modi’s vision and important development initiatives of the central government to all parts of the country. These stations are adding a new dimension of welfare activities for various communities and groups, like women and tribal community among others.
Speaking about the first edition of WAVES 2025, Dr. L. Murugan stated that new ideas will evolve from it and that creative economy is a sunrise sector that will play a major role in the coming days.
List of Community Radio Stations which were awarded under four different themes
Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Prithul Kumar Joint Secretary (Broadcasting) and MD, NFDC, and IIMC Vice Chancellor Dr. Anupama Bhatnagar were present amongst the dignitaries on the occasion.
The conference brought together representatives from more than 400 Community Radio (CR) Stations across the country on one platform to provide an opportunity for dialogue and collaboration. At present, there are 531 CR Stations across the country. The conference emphasized the seminal role of Community Radio in public communication and awareness generation and also their potential in social development.
At WAVES 2025, experts call for unified action against piracy, blending technology, law, and awareness
At WAVES 2025, a panel discussion on “Piracy: Safeguarding Content through Technology” brought together global leaders in media, law, and cybersecurity to address one of the most pressing challenges facing the digital content economy. Moderated by Neil Gane, Vice President and Head of Asia Pacific at IP House, the conversation reflected the growing consensus that piracy is no longer a fringe concern but a mainstream threat demanding coordinated, multi-dimensional responses.
Vivek Couto, Managing & Executive Director of Media Partners Asia, underlined the economic cost of unchecked piracy. “Online piracy is expected to cost the industry over 10% in lost revenue between 2025 and 2029,” he said. “But effective anti-piracy enforcement could drive a 25% increase in legal video service users and unlock a US$ 0.5 billion boost in content investment, raising the total value to US$ 3.8 billion by 2029.” He urged stakeholders to reframe the piracy discussion from protection to potential, especially as India’s digital video economy scales.
Dr. Shruti Mantri, Associate Director at ISB Institute of Data Science, highlighted the intersection of digital piracy and cybercrime. “Piracy often involves malicious tools like trojans, ransomware, and spyware. Users between 18–24 years old are particularly vulnerable,” she said. She called for comprehensive public awareness campaigns and educational initiatives, noting that prevention must begin with informed consumers. She also announced a Digital Piracy Summit being organized by ISB in collaboration with CBI and Interpol on July 9–10.
Speaking on anti-piracy operations in the sports sector, Anurag Kashyap, Head of Anti-Piracy Operations at DAZN, explained the preventive approach. “Our strategy is built around the three Ds: detection, disruption, and deterrence. We start enforcement even before the event goes live,” he said. Invisible watermarking, he added, plays a pivotal role in tracking leaks.
Legal expert Anil Lale, Head-Legal at Jio Hotstar, stressed the importance of strong enforcement. “The biggest deterrent is prosecuting the pirates. Law enforcement must identify the source of leaks and stop playing catch-up,” he said. Prevention, he asserted, should be proactive rather than reactive.
Praveen Anand of Anand and Anand Associates emphasized that the solution lies in both technology and judicial reform. “Tools like AI, blockchain, and watermarking are crucial. But we must also make camcording difficult with measures like metal detectors. Timely legal action is essential to create deterrence,” he noted.
The panel converged on the need for a united front, where technology, legislation, enforcement agencies, and public awareness work in tandem to protect the future of digital content. WAVES 2025, through such discussions, continues to spotlight actionable strategies for the Media and Entertainment industry’s most pressing concerns.
India Sets Global Vision in AVGC-XR: IICT Launches Strategic Collaborations with Industry Leaders
Union I & B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flags off associations with global companies for IICT to revolutionise AVGC-XR education and innovation
In a major leap towards empowering India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in collaboration with FICCI and CII, has unveiled the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT)—a National Centre of Excellence dedicated exclusively to the AVGC-XR sector.
The occasion was graced by the Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, who ceremonially flagged off these strategic associations. He emphasized India’s potential to become a global leader in media and entertainment, stating that IICT is on track to evolve into a premier institution in its field, much like how IITs and IIMs have become benchmarks in technology and management education.
The announcement that was made at the inaugural of WAVES 2025, was formalised today by the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, during the ongoing WAVES Summit in Mumbai. The Union Minister informed that IICT will follow the same template as the IITs and IIMs in India to transform itself into a massive world-class education and training hub for students who aspire to be professionals in the AVGC-XR sector.
“We have started an initiative which is completely novel in the world of film and entertainment. This (initiative) follows the vision of our Prime Minister that India can take the global lead in the world in the media and entertainment sector,” said the Minister.
The Minister heartily thanked the industry partners who have expressed their willingness to collaborate, as he announced that leading global companies have agreed to partner with IICT to provide support in curriculum development, internships, scholarships, startup funding, and job placements.
“I thank all the industry partners and their top management with whom I have spoken to, for expressing their willingness to partner with us for this initiative. They will help us build this institution and help us sustain a long-term growth. I hope the IICT grows into a large educational infrastucture for the (AVGC-XR) sector. We will be following the same template that we have created for the IITs and IIMs in our country, to make it into a world-class institution,” the minister added.
Some companies who have extended their hands for a long-term collaborations are JioStar, Adobe, Google & YouTube, Meta, Wacom, Microsoft and NVIDIA.
The industry leaders who were present in this ceremony included Richard Kerris, (VP & GM, Media & Entertainment, Nvidia), Sanjog Gupta (CEO, Sports & Live Experiences, Jio Star), Mala Sharma (VP & GM – Education, Adobe), Preeti Lobana (Country Head & VP, Google India), Rajiv Malik (Senior Director, WACOM), Sandeep Bandibekar (Head of Sales, State Govt. & Healthcare), Sandeep Bandivdekar (Director, Mainstream Services Partners, Microsoft) and Sunil Abraham (Director, Public policy, Meta).
Board members and governing council members of IICT who were present today were Ashish Kulkarni, Biren Ghosh, Manvendra Shukul, Munjal Shroff, Chaitanya Chinchlikar, and Subhash Sapru. The Executive Team of IICT includes Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, IICT CEO, Ninad Raikar, IICT COO and Shweta Verma Lead Marketing IICT
During the session, representatives from IICT and leading industry partners came together to exchange Letters of Intent (LoIs), marking the launch of long-term collaborative efforts aimed at advancing the AVGC-XR ecosystem in India. The signings involved prominent global industry leaders including Jiostar, Adobe, Google, YouTube, and Meta.
These alliances are designed to boost education, R&D and innovation across animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, film, and extended reality. The goal is to replicate India’s successful IT model within the creative and digital media space, developing a sustainable ecosystem for future growth.
Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. L. Murugan; Secretary, Ministry of I&B, Shri Sanjay Jaju; and Principal Director General, Press Information Bureau, Shri Dhirendra Ojha were also present at the exchange of agreements.
Master actor-creator Aamir Khan shares his views on ‘The Art of Acting,’ at WAVES 2025
Master actor-creator Aamir Khan won many a heart with his down-to-earth tips on ‘The Art of Acting’ given from the Creatosphere stage in WAVES 2025 today. The practical advice came from his years of experience in film-making as the veteran actor said, “I am not a trained actor. I wanted to go to the National School of Drama, but couldn’t. I have picked up tips on the way, which work for me.”
Speaking about the future of film-making, Aamir Khan said, that AI technology has enabled films to be shot without the actor in the scene! AI and technology is capable of adding the Actor later in the scene.
The first and foremost task for an actor is to get into the mind of the character, said the versatile actor who over the years have gifted many memorable characters to Indian Cinema. And how does he get into the skin of the character? The dedicated actor states, “I spend a lot of time with scripts. I read the script again and again. If the script is good, you will understand the character, its physicality, attitude etc. will all come from it”. Additionally, discussions on the character and story with the director also gives an idea.
By throwing light on his hard-working nature, Mr. Khan revealed, “I have a weak memory. So, I hand-write dialogues. I take up the difficult scenes first. The dialogues must be by heart. On first day, I just work on it. I do it every day for 3-4 months, and then it gets into me. The dialogues have to become yours. You have to own it. When it was written it was the script-writer’s. It later becomes yours. When you repeat the same line, you realize, you can do it many a way.
What is a difficult task for actors? An actor has to repeat and go for retake of scenes with same emotional intensity every day, said Aamir Khan.
Another important tip for budding actors which came from Aamir Khan is – “The more honest you are, the better you will perform”.
So, how does Mr. Aamir Khan practice his scenes?
The answer is “I visualize scenes before giving shots. I never look into mirror while practicing scenes.”
What is Aamir Khan’s personal favourite of all his film-projects? As many guessed, it is ‘Taare Zameen Par’ as it taught many parents to be patient with their children, support them and be empathetic with their little ones!
What other tips did the veteran actor have for those who are just starting off?
“When I use emotion, it has to come from the script. You have to believe the script. Sometimes there are scenes in the films which are not believable. But the actor may make you believe it. Actor has to convince the audience about what is being shown”.
What is a good script? Aamir Khan said, “A good script will have a clear premise. Goal setting should come in first ten percent of the story. Otherwise the interest of audience will be lost”.
But most important tip for all involved in a film project – “Do what the scene demands, and don’t just think of your own work in it”.
Aamir Khan felicitated by Union Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju
WAVES as a platform amplifies the creative synergy between global and Indian storytellers: Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO of Netflix
Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO of Netflix, while talking to actor Saif Ali Khan in an engaging conversation on the third day of the inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) at Jio World Centre in Mumbai today, said that the streaming platforms had enabled democratization of film making in India.
The conversation on the theme “Streaming the New India: Culture, Connectivity, and Creative Capital” explored the evolving landscape of storytelling in the digital era, the impact of streaming on creative freedom, and India’s growing presence on the global entertainment map.
When asked about the future of storytelling, Sarandos said, “It’s very difficult to predict where storytelling is headed. But what remains constant is the intent to connect with audiences. Our investments in India have generated over $2 billion in economic impact, post COVID. That’s all the jobs created, skills developed, and infrastructure supported. We’ve filmed across 100+ towns and cities in India across 23 states, and collaborated with over 25,000 local cast and crew,” the Netflix CEO said.”
Saif Ali Khan, reflecting on his collaboration with Netflix in the popular series Sacred Games, emphasized the transformative power of streaming platforms. “Earlier, we had to conform to rigid formats. Streaming has liberated actors and filmmakers from those constraints. Now, people across the globe can watch our stories, which they might have missed in traditional cinema,” he said.
Elaborating on the democratization of filmmaking in India, he said, “audiences can access diverse stories anytime, and creators have more freedom to tell them. It’s a continuous cycle of watching and making.”
Addressing the coexistence of cinema and streaming, Sarandos reaffirmed that theatrical releases still hold value. “Cinemas are not outdated. Streaming and theaters are not competitors. They can move ahead coexisting each other as the market before us is huge,” he said.
Saif echoed the sentiment, adding that the most meaningful projects for him are those rooted in Indian culture. “If someone abroad asks me about my films, I talk about Omkaara or Parineeta — films deeply connected to our culture. There’s something incredibly thrilling about telling our own stories to the world,” he said.
Both Sarandos and Saif praised WAVES as a platform that amplifies the creative synergy between global and Indian storytellers. Sarandos praised the initiative, saying, “If the ideas presented here work, they’ll succeed beyond imagination. WAVES is a fantastic platform for that momentum.”
The WAVES summit continues to bring together visionaries and industry experts from across the globe to shape the future of the entertainment industry through dialogue, innovation, and cultural exchange.
WAVES 2025: Spotify House Session Highlights Folk as a Living Tradition
Mumbai, 3 May 2025: The Day 3 of the inaugural WAVES Summit 2025 witnessed an insightful session titled Spotify House: Evolution of Folk Music in India at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. Hosted under the ‘WAVES Culturals and Concerts’ segment, the session brought together leading voices from India’s folk music and cultural space for a conversation on the living tradition of folk.
Renowned storyteller and host Roshan Abbas moderated the discussion. The panel featured celebrated lyricist and CBFC Chairperson Prasoon Joshi, folk singer Malini Awasthi, music composer Nandesh Umap, singer and composer Papon, and acclaimed performer Ila Arun.
Panellists discussed how Indian folk music continues to thrive as a living, collective tradition. They agreed that folk is not a relic of the past but a force deeply embedded in daily life and passed down across generations. Prasoon Joshi described folk as a “tactile feel of life” and a dynamic expression of shared human experience.
The conversation revolved around efforts to bring folk music into the mainstream. The panellists appreciated platforms like Spotify and initiatives like WAVES for including folk in larger cultural narratives. Nandesh Umap called folk “an open university,” stressing its inclusive and democratic nature.
Papon recounted his journey with folk music, including a memorable moment in Serbia when Assamese folk songs received a standing ovation. He highlighted how Indian folk resonates globally when presented with authenticity. Ila Arun and Malini Awasthi echoed the sentiment, stressing that the roots of folk music lie in community and emotion.
Prasoon Joshi noted, “When you seek yourself, you write poetry. When you subsume yourself, you write folk.” This statement captured the essence of the discussion as a genre rooted in collective identity and constantly reshaped by those who live it.
The panel underscored the vast diversity within Indian folk traditions, with each state offering a unique musical idiom. They called for systemic support to nurture this diversity and credited the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for enabling platforms like WAVES that bring traditional art forms to the forefront.
The discussion also addressed the need for innovation. The panellists emphasised that while the essence of folk must be preserved, its form should evolve to speak to new generations. They encouraged creative reinterpretations that remain true to cultural roots yet appeal to contemporary audiences.
The session featured spontaneous musical moments. Several panellists broke into impromptu singing, bringing the spirit of folk to life. The audience enjoyed an authentic and immersive experience.
The session ended with a unified call to listeners, institutions, and creators to support India’s folk heritage. The panellists urged that folk must not only be preserved but also celebrated and shared widely.
