Marking a milestone in India’s media and entertainment journey, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) inaugurated the 25th edition of FICCI FRAMES—its flagship global convention on the business of media and entertainment—at The Fairmont, Mumbai.

Themed “A Silver Jubilee of Vision, Voices & Creativity,” this year’s edition celebrates the 25-year journey of FICCI FRAMES in shaping India’s creative ecosystem while looking ahead at the future of storytelling, technology, and innovation in the country’s fast-evolving creative economy.

The convention brought together industry leaders, policymakers, creators, and innovators from India and across the world, reaffirming India’s emergence as a powerful creative force on the global stage.

A Silver Jubilee That Reflects a Nation’s Creative Transformation

Inaugurating the event, Shri Ashish Shelar, Minister for Culture and Information Technology, Government of Maharashtra, underscored the importance of technology-driven growth and the empowerment of the next generation of creators. He called for a balance between regional, local, and national narratives, saying that India’s strength lies in its diversity of voices.

“We must promote our regional and local stories with as much pride as we showcase our national content,” Shelar said, highlighting the growing recognition of Marathi cinema and regional storytelling. He spoke about several Maharashtra Government initiatives designed to strengthen this ecosystem—including the Maharashtra Film Policy, upcoming Film Cities, the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) for skill development, and the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES)—all of which aim to position India as a global creative hub.

Sanjay Jaju’s Call to Action: Innovate, Inspire, and Grow Responsibly

Addressing the audience, Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, spoke passionately about India’s creative transformation. He emphasized that India’s media and entertainment sector stands “on the cusp of a global breakthrough powered by imagination, technology, and youthful energy.”

He urged the ecosystem to work collectively towards a sustainable and inclusive creative future, calling upon:

• Industry to innovate fearlessly,

• Investors to believe in the promise of Indian creativity, and

• Creators to inspire through responsible storytelling.

“As Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has observed, India’s Orange Economy is not merely about entertainment—it is about ideas and imagination, about turning our cultural strength into creative energy that inspires the world,” Jaju reminded the gathering.

He described the 25th edition of FICCI FRAMES as a landmark moment for India’s creative economy, one that reaffirms the nation’s potential to lead the world in creative innovation and storytelling.

Igniting India’s creative future – Maharashtra leads the way!

At the Silver Jubilee Edition of FICCI FRAMES 2025, themed ‘Vision, Voices and Creativity’, I spoke about how Maharashtra’s media and entertainment industry contributes nearly Rs 2 lakh crore to the nation’s GDP,… pic.twitter.com/uhVaUjFsFm— Adv. Ashish Shelar - ॲड. आशिष शेलार (@ShelarAshish) October 7, 2025

Ayushmann Khurrana: The Artist’s Responsibility to Inspire and Unite

Adding star power to the convention, acclaimed actor and FICCI FRAMES Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana reflected on the evolving landscape of Indian storytelling.
He spoke about the responsibility of artists to create content that inspires, unites, and represents the diversity of India. “As artists, our work should not only entertain but also inspire change and nurture empathy,” he said, commending FICCI’s efforts in nurturing young creative talent and paving the way for India’s creators to claim their rightful place on the global stage.

India’s Creative Economy: From Local to Global Powerhouse

Tracing the phenomenal growth of India’s media and entertainment (M&E) sector, Shri Jaju shared that it has expanded from a ₹25,000-crore market in 1999 to over ₹2.5 trillion (USD 30 billion) today. This tenfold expansion, he said, reflects “the power of Indian creativity, digital innovation, and youthful enterprise.”

Film and television continue to be the backbone of the industry, reaching more than 800 million Indians daily, while digital media remains the fastest-growing segment, expanding at over 15% annually.

He identified the AVGC–XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) sector as the next frontier, recording an annual growth rate of more than 30%. Additionally, the live entertainment industry has grown into a ₹20,000-crore ecosystem, creating new opportunities for both cultural exchange and employment.

India’s Soft Power: Storytelling that Transcends Borders

Highlighting India’s expanding global footprint, Jaju noted that Indian stories now reach over 200 countries, translated and subtitled in multiple languages.
“Our content has become India’s soft power—shaping global perceptions of who we are and what we stand for,” he said. Indian creators are now collaborating with major international players such as Disney, DreamWorks, Netflix, and Sony, while Indian music and games continue to find vast global audiences.

Citing success stories from Lagaan to Kantara, Jaju said, “We have 10,000 stories; we have only told 25 so far. There is a huge scope to take these stories across continents.”

He added, “The one language common across all human civilizations is the language of emotions, and that’s where Indian storytelling connects so deeply.”

Balancing Growth with Responsibility

Even as he celebrated India’s creative success, Jaju cautioned that the industry must grow responsibly.
“With great growth comes great responsibility,” he said. “We must ensure fair and transparent revenue models, safeguard creator rights, curb misinformation, and combat piracy, which has links to national security and money laundering concerns.”

He stressed that India’s creative journey must protect freedom of expression while upholding community values and ensuring equitable opportunities for all creators.

Government Initiatives Powering the Next Phase of Creative Growth

Jaju unveiled several Government of India initiatives aimed at strengthening the creative and entertainment ecosystem:

• World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES): Described by Jaju as “not just an event, but a movement,” WAVES aims to promote cross-border collaboration and innovation.

• WAVEXcelerator (WAVEX): A dedicated accelerator program for creative startups.

• Create in India Challenges: Skilling and innovation platforms that have already upskilled over one lakh creators.

• India Cine Hub: A digital single-window system that will soon expand to support the live concert and event sector, with beta versions launching by the end of October 2025.

• Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT): The first campus is already operational, with a new facility planned for Goregaon by 2028, supported by FICCI and CII partnerships.

He also revealed that a Joint Working Group with state governments and industry partners is developing a roadmap to make India one of the world’s top five live entertainment destinations by 2030.

A Collective Call for the Next 25 Years

As the event concluded, Jaju’s words echoed a collective vision for the future:
“Let us frame the next quarter century of Indian media and entertainment together—one that is bold in creativity, fair in conduct, and global in impact.”

With this spirit, FICCI FRAMES 2025 continues its two-day convention, bringing together global visionaries, industry leaders, and creators to chart the next phase of growth at the intersection of creativity, technology, and commerce.

A New Dawn for India’s Creative Economy

The Silver Jubilee edition of FICCI FRAMES marks not just 25 years of industry dialogue, but also a defining moment for India’s creative economy as it takes center stage globally.

Through initiatives like WAVES, WAVEX, and IICT, and the inspiring leadership of figures like Ashish Shelar and Sanjay Jaju, India is poised to become a global creative powerhouse—a nation whose stories, ideas, and imagination continue to inspire the world.

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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