BRICS Waves Bazaar charts roadmap for creative economy, co-production and ethical AI collaboration
Mumbai, August 6
Senior diplomats, policymakers and industry leaders at the BRICS Waves Bazaar in Mumbai called for deeper collaboration in the global creative economy, advocating streamlined co-production policies, stronger cross-border distribution networks and ethical artificial intelligence frameworks to boost storytelling from the Global South.
BRICS Waves Bazaar brought together representatives from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MoIB), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Government of Maharashtra and the Indonesian Consulate to discuss ways of strengthening creative trade by leveraging technology while preserving cultural heritage.
Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar described the BRICS Waves Bazaar as a platform to shape the future of the global creative economy and highlighted the state's role as a major production hub.
"The BRICS Waves Bazaar is not merely an exhibition; it is a high-powered confluence designed to shape the future of the global creative economy," Shelar said.
He said India was promoting the "Orange Economy" by taking the country's cultural diversity to the global stage, adding that cross-cultural storytelling serves as an important instrument of soft power and helps build lasting diplomatic ties.
Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Chanchal Kumar said local stories have the potential to resonate with global audiences and urged BRICS nations to strengthen commercial partnerships in films, animation, visual effects (VFX) and gaming.
"The BRICS Waves Bazaar brings together creators and buyers, ideas and capital, content and technology," Kumar said, adding that India was ready to share its experience in building stronger creative industry platforms ahead of hosting the WAVES summit in Mumbai in 2027.
Rajiv Bodwade, Joint Secretary (MER), Ministry of External Affairs, said globalization should complement efforts to preserve local identities, traditional values and indigenous crafts while expanding digital trade opportunities.
He said technology could help create resilient creative value chains across content and digital industries, adding that the Creative Industries Working Group under BRICS is facilitating market access for women creators across member countries.
Speaking to ANI, Tjoki Aprainda Siregar, Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia in Mumbai, stressed the importance of promoting content based on peace, tolerance and universal human values while strengthening intellectual property (IP) protection.
He also underlined the need for responsible use of artificial intelligence, saying AI should remain under human control and that governments and industry stakeholders must work together to prevent misuse of the technology and safeguard intellectual property rights.
The discussions at the BRICS Waves Bazaar also focused on institutionalising co-production treaties, expanding international content distribution networks and strengthening long-term media and entertainment partnerships across the expanded BRICS+ grouping.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The "Orange Economy" concept is fascinating but let's be practical. We hear these grand declarations at every summit - what we need is ground-level implementation. Will this actually reduce the hurdles for indie creators who want to showcase their work in BRICS countries? Will there be easier visa processes for artists? The intent is good, but the execution has to be faster. Also, I hope the emphasis on women creators isn't just tokenism - we need actual market access and funding, not just conferences. 🤔
Mumbai is truly becoming the hub for this kind of global collaboration. As someone who works in the animation industry, I can tell you that our artists are world-class but often get paid a fraction of what their Western counterparts do. These BRICS partnerships could help us negotiate better terms. The mention of gaming in this context is also huge - India's gaming sector is exploding and we need international collaborators. Wishing the WAVES summit in 2027 becomes a landmark event for South-South creative cooperation! 🎮
The Indonesian Consul General's emphasis on AI staying under human control is very relevant. With deepfakes and AI-generated content already causing havoc on social media, we need strong ethical frameworks and IP protection. Also, this isn't just about Bollywood - regional cinema and content from all Indian languages need to benefit from these BRICS partnerships. Hope the "local stories" mentioned include our Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam filmmakers too. Not everything should be about the Hindi film industry. 🙏
Great to see India stepping up on collaborative production frameworks. Having worked on co-productions between studios in Mumbai and LA, I can say that formalized treaties make the process much smoother. The creative economy is a huge growth area, and it's smart for India to position itself as a bridge between the Global South and the rest of the world. Looking forward to seeing what WAVES delivers in
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