WAVES Bazaar 2025: A Global Catalyst for Creative Industry Collaboration

The first WAVES Bazaar, held in Mumbai, successfully facilitated international business deals exceeding Rs 800 crore across creative sectors. Key highlights included emerging deals, partnerships such as the India-New Zealand Film Festival collaboration, and the launch of diverse co-productions, showcasing India's growing influence in global creative industries.

In a landmark event for the creative industries, the first WAVES Bazaar, hosted from May 1 to May 3, 2025, in Mumbai, emerged as a prosperous platform for international business collaboration. Under the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), it registered deals exceeding Rs 800 crore across Film, Music, Radio, VFX, and Animation sectors, with expectations to surpass Rs 1000 crore in the days following.

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting reported a standout feature of the Bazaar—a bustling Buyer-Seller Market that facilitated over 3,000 B2B meetings, initiating revenue generation of over Rs 500 crore. The event also orchestrated curated film screenings which were met with significant acclaim.

WAVES Bazaar played an instrumental role in fostering new partnerships and promoting emerging creators as they pitched their intellectual properties to a global audience. Notably, it spurred a collaborative effort between Film India Screen Collective and Screen Canterbury NZ to kickstart an Indian Film Festival in New Zealand, strengthening cultural ties. Furthermore, early discussions between Only Much Louder (OML) and Gazprom Media promise prospective India-Russia collaboration in entertainment.

Another highlight was the Prime Video and CJ ENM collaboration, aiming to bring premium Korean content to worldwide audiences, a testament to Asia's expanding influence in global media. The event also witnessed the announcement of 'Devi Chowdhurani,' India's inaugural Indo-UK co-production, alongside the launch of 'Violated,' a female-led psychological thriller directed by Dimple Dugar. These initiatives underscore WAVES Bazaar's role in spearheading a new era of cross-border storytelling.

(With inputs from agencies.)