M&E Sector Entering High-Growth Phase Amid AI Disruption: I&B Secretary at CII Big Picture Summit

During the event, Shri Jaju also released the CII White Paper titled ‘Priority Policy Reforms for a Globally Competitive Creative Economy of India’, which charts a strategic roadmap for future-ready reforms in the sector.

India’s Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector is standing at the threshold of a transformational era driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI), creativity, and technological advancement, said Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), while delivering the inaugural address at the 12th CII Big Picture Summit held in Mumbai today. The theme for this year’s summit was “The AI Era – Bridging Creativity and Commerce.”

During the event, Shri Jaju also released the CII White Paper titled ‘Priority Policy Reforms for a Globally Competitive Creative Economy of India’, which charts a strategic roadmap for future-ready reforms in the sector.

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AI as a Catalyst, Not a Threat

Speaking to industry leaders, creators, and policymakers, Shri Jaju emphasized that the rise of AI should be viewed not as a disruption but as an opportunity to accelerate India’s content innovation, productivity, and global footprint.

“AI is transforming entertainment. If we do not embrace new technologies, our global share will shrink,” he warned.

Currently, India accounts for only 2% of the global M&E market, despite being one of the world’s largest sources of cultural production, linguistic diversity, and storytelling heritage.

According to Shri Jaju, India must evolve from being a market of creative potential to one of global creative dominance.

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Creative Economy: A Pillar of India’s Growth Story

Highlighting the sector’s economic contribution, the I&B Secretary noted that the Indian creative economy today:

• Provides direct or indirect livelihood to over 10 million individuals

• Contributes approximately ₹3 lakh crore to India’s GDP

• Represents one of the fastest-growing sectors supporting entrepreneurship and digital exports

He emphasized that entertainment — like food, shelter, and clothing — remains a fundamental cultural need, contributing to national wellbeing, social cohesion, and global soft power.

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Government as Enabler, Industry as Growth Driver

Shri Jaju reiterated that the Government’s role is to facilitate growth through regulatory clarity, fiscal incentives, skill development, and infrastructure creation, while the industry must lead in innovation and market expansion.

He shared updates on key government initiatives:

• Establishment of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, aimed at becoming India’s premier creative and media education hub

• The new IICT campus in Film City, Goregaon, set to be completed within two years

• NFDC campus already functional and supporting skill programmes

The Secretary praised WAVES Bazaar, describing it as a platform that bridges creators with investors, buyers, and global collaborators.

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Growing Global Influence of Indian Content

India’s streaming boom, gaming surge, and increasing global collaborations are reshaping its cultural exports. Shri Jaju called on creators to build original, globally competitive intellectual property (IP) and ensure that India’s stories travel the world.

“As a rising economic power, India’s stories must reach every part of the world — that is the essence of our soft power,” he said.

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Industry Leaders Share Stage

Prominent industry leaders present included:

• Shri Gaurav Banerjee, Chair, CII National Council on Media & Entertainment and MD & CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India

• Shri Rajan Navani, Co-Chair, CII National Council on Media & Entertainment and MD & CEO, Jetsynthesys

• Ms. Gunjan Soni, Co-Chair, CII National Council on Media & Entertainment and Country MD, YouTube India

The event also saw the inauguration of the CII M&E Investors’ Meet and WAVES Bazaar, aimed at building a robust funding ecosystem for creators, startups, and emerging technologies.