WAVES Bazaar in Mumbai concludes with ₹1,328 cr deals; sparks global partnerships

The inaugural WAVES Bazaar, a business conclave under the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) wrapped up on a high note at Mumbai's Jio World Convention Centre, recording ₹1,328 crore in commercial deals across films, gaming and animation. Over 3,000 B2B meetings alone generated ₹971 crore, signalling strong industry engagement, as per the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The event was marked by significant international collaborations. Notably, India and New Zealand proposed the first-ever Indian Film festival in New Zealand. Talks also began between Only Much Louder (OML) and Russia's Gazprom Media for cross-cultural comedy and music co-productions. A global deal between Prime Video and CJ ENM to distribute premium Korean content was also unveiled.

Major project announcements included 'Devi Chowdhurani', India's first official India-UK co-production and 'Violated', a bold Indo-UK psychological thriller.

I&B Secretary Sanjay Jaju described WAVES as a true “people’s movement,” celebrating its inclusive and transformative spirit. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Chief Minister held strategic meetings with global media leaders, including Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Universal Music’s Devraj Sanyal, to explore partnerships in skill development and storytelling rooted in rural India.

With robust support from both the state and central governments, WAVES Bazaar solidified India’s position as a rising force in the global creative economy, laying the groundwork for a bold new chapter in cross-border collaboration and narrative innovation.

With inputs from PIB