Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday addressed key issues shaping India’s media landscape, including the need for clear regulations on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and measures to promote locally produced content through incentives.
Chairing the Global Media Dialogue at the World Audio, Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, he stressed the importance of local content production, and collaboration between the government, industry and creators for greater focus on local stories.
“As a government, we must provide a fair chance for everyone to showcase their story to the world. We must incentivise local content promotion and enforce IP framework among other things,” Vaishnaw said.
The session was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of State for I&B L Murugan.
The minister also underlined the need for policies that preserve and promote all cultural forms as they connect people across borders. “Focus is shifting towards local stories. We aim to build people-to-people and country-to-country exchanges. Tie-ups with government, industry and creators have, therefore, become indispensable,” Vaishnaw said. He further called for practical measures such as co-production treaties to ease licensing and talent movement, the creation of joint funds for emerging technologies, and the establishment of shared standards, and clear rules for ethical AI.
WAVES summit
The WAVES summit is taking place from May 1-4. The summit aims to boost India’s media and entertainment industry by fostering international collaborations, investments, and content co-creation opportunities. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the summit at the Jio World Convention Centre, stating that the event showcases a “true wave of culture, creativity, and universal connection”.
“In the coming years, the creative economy can increase its contribution to India’s GDP…Today, India is emerging as a global hub for film production, digital content, gaming, fashion, music and live concerts…This is the dawn of the Orange Economy in India,” PM Modi said. Business Standard