WAVES Summit 2025 in Mumbai: Catalyzing India’s XR Industry

The World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, taking place from May 1–4 at Mumbai’s Jio World Convention Centre, marks a pivotal moment for India’s media and entertainment (M&E) sector-especially for the burgeoning Extended Reality (XR) industry. Organized by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in collaboration with FICCI and powered by the Create in India Challenge, WAVES is designed as a global platform to connect, innovate, and showcase India’s creative and technological prowess.

WAVES Summit: A Hub for XR Innovation

WAVES 2025 is more than an industry event; it is a movement to foster next-generation talent and transformative technologies across broadcasting, animation, gaming, digital media, and, crucially, XR. The summit features:

• Live demonstrations, workshops, and competitions for filmmakers, developers, and creators.

• A focus on immersive technologies-Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and XR-alongside generative AI, animation, and gaming.

• Special initiatives like the XR Creator Hackathon, which has already spotlighted India’s top XR innovators

The event is expected to attract industry professionals, investors, and creators from India and abroad, positioning Mumbai as a global hub for creative and technological exchange.

XR Creator Hackathon: Showcasing India’s Talent

A highlight of WAVES 2025 is the XR Creator Hackathon, part of the Create in India Challenge. This nationwide competition drew over 2,200 participants from more than 150 cities, with a majority from Tier 2 and 3 cities-demonstrating the democratization of XR innovation in India.

Winning projects span five key themes:

• Educational Transformation: IIT Kharagpur students developed Eduscape XR, a VR platform for realistic science experiments, addressing the lack of lab infrastructure in schools.

• Healthcare & Well-being: Cognihab offers XR-powered rehabilitation for conditions like stroke and anxiety, focusing on real-world medical outcomes.

• Immersive Tourism: LumeXR’s mixed-reality travel guide lets users virtually explore destinations, blending 3D mapping and cultural storytelling.

• E-commerce & Retail: Heaven Estate by team EMO uses AR and 3D to help homeowners visualize interior designs, fostering collaboration with designers.

• Digital Media & Entertainment: Youth Buzz’s Game of Dimensions is a cross-platform tactical war game, unifying VR and mobile gaming experiences.

These projects will be showcased at the summit, underlining India’s capacity for global XR leadership.

India’s Vision: A Global XR Powerhouse

WAVES Summit 2025 encapsulates India’s ambition to become a global leader in XR and digital content creation. By bringing together government, industry, academia, and creative talent, the summit is expected to:

• Amplify India’s role as a hub for content creation and intellectual property.

• Accelerate the adoption and development of immersive technologies across sectors-education, healthcare, tourism, retail, and entertainment.

• Inspire the next generation of XR innovators and position India at the forefront of the global M&E landscape.

As the XR industry continues to evolve, WAVES 2025 stands as a testament to India’s commitment to building a vibrant, inclusive, and future-ready digital economy.