PMO Pushes For India As ‘Content Subcontinent’, Plans Major Orange Economy Boost Through WAVE Summit
The Modi government believes that India has all the raw material necessary to dominate this space - a vast pool of creative talent, a digital economy growing at breakneck speed, and a deep-rooted tradition of storytelling.
Almost a month ahead of the World Audio Visual & Entertainment (WAVE) summit, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has issued clear instructions — India must establish itself as the global hub for content and creative industries, positioning itself as the “content subcontinent."
In a high-level strategy discussion, held in the first week of April, officials were directed to accelerate initiatives that harness the ‘Orange Economy’ — the booming sector that includes media, entertainment, gaming, digital content, and the gig economy, News18 has learnt. The upcoming WAVE Summit, scheduled to be held in Mumbai next month, is expected to be the launchpad for this vision, attracting global investment and cementing India’s role as a leader in the creative economy.
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The Modi government believes that India has all the raw material necessary to dominate this space – a vast pool of creative talent, a digital economy growing at breakneck speed, and a deep-rooted tradition of storytelling.
While addressing the CNN-News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2025 in Delhi on Tuesday, PM Modi said, “The entertainment industry is becoming larger by the day and with time it will flourish more. Bharat has done great in creating content like movies, podcasts, OTT series and, also in gaming. This is going to be a booming economy. The government is going to celebrate and encourage such content creators by creating a robust mechanism for them to grow through WAVE."
Even as several countries like the UAE and South Korea have capitalised on their creative economies, India has so far remained a content creator without a structured institutional framework to maximise its potential. However, the PM’s push is aimed at creating such a structure, ensuring that India becomes not just a supplier of talent but a global hub for content production, innovation, and investment.
Efforts to create WAVES, literally
To make this happen, the government is working on multiple fronts. First, there is a renewed focus on AI-driven content creation and the ethical use of technology in the creative economy. Modi government has made a space for that and called it — create in India.
Officials have been instructed to develop policies that protect intellectual property, prevent AI-driven misinformation, and ensure that Indian creators and digital entrepreneurs benefit from AI rather than being displaced by it or being discouraged to take the leap of faith along with the AI not away from it, said a senior member of I&B ministry, hosting and organising the summit.
There is also a strong emphasis on using AI for the larger common good — expanding digital content accessibility, supporting education, and fostering new creative business models. The ministry has floated innovative ideas for reality shows with quirky and curiosity evoking titles, specially designed to attract the youth. “Competitions for diverse reality challenges – starting from classical music to promoting local Indian bands, from drone designing to community radio system — are taking place across cities. All such challenges are now in several phases towards completion whole the final contestants would be taken to Mumbai for the final rounds and the award ceremonies," added another officer.
Why is this economy ‘orange’
The term ‘orange economy’ originated from a book – The Orange Economy: An Infinite Opportunity – popularised by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). As explained by them, the colour ‘orange’ was chosen because the colour symbolises creativity, stimulation, intelligence, vibrance and transformation.
The informal economy, known as Orange Economy, is now being reimagined as a major job creator. The government sees tier 2 and tier 3 cities as the next frontier for the creative sector, with a focus on localised digital content, animation, gaming, and OTT production hubs. Senior officials and experts believe that this approach could reduce migration from smaller towns, create millions of opportunities, and ensure that India’s creative economy is not just concentrated in metro cities but nationally dispersed.
A key part of this strategy is the development of dedicated creative economy institutions, with Mumbai likely to house a state-of-the-art facility for training and supporting the next generation of content creators, said a senior officer.
Inspired by Dubai’s success in building a world-class media and communication ecosystem, the government is keen to provide Indian talent with the infrastructure and investment needed to compete globally.
Another senior government officer further added that the PMO’s role is not to regulate creativity but to act as an ‘enabler’ — bridging the gap between content and technology. India’s WAVE Summit is expected to bring together global investors, policymakers, and creators to shape the future of India’s very own – Orange Economy.
For PM Modi, this is more than just an economic initiative — it is a strategic bet on India’s soft power, its digital future, and its place in the global creative industry.
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