In 2025, India reached an important milestone in its economic development with the launch of the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) in Mumbai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described this event as a major breakthrough, referring to the rise of the Orange Economy as the beginning of a fresh era powered by creativity, culture, and innovative content.
What Is the Orange Economy? The Orange Economy, sometimes called the Creative Economy, includes industries that revolve around creative ideas, cultural expression, intellectual property, and human talent. It spans sectors like film, music, fashion, design, digital media, gaming, publishing, and advertising. Globally, this sector is worth more than $2.25 trillion and is rapidly growing, playing a crucial role in generating jobs and boosting economies worldwide.
India’s Expanding Creative Sector: India’s creative industries are growing fast, thanks to its rich cultural legacy combined with technological progress. As of 2025:
• The country’s media and entertainment industry is valued at over $28 billion, with expectations to nearly double in size within the next five years.
• The creative economy contributes close to 2.5% of India’s GDP and provides employment to over 15 million people across various domains including filmmaking, music, handicrafts, design, and tech startups.
• The traditional handicrafts sector alone supports around 7 million artisans, many located in rural regions, playing a key role in preserving cultural heritage while supporting livelihoods.
These numbers highlight that the Orange Economy is not only a source of cultural pride but also a vital engine for economic progress and social inclusion.
“With its rich cultural diversity, large pool of talent, and growing digital ecosystem, India is well-positioned to become a global leader in creative industries. The government’s support and initiatives like WAVES 2025 demonstrate a clear commitment to fostering a vibrant creative economy that promotes sustainable and inclusive growth.”
The Role Of Digital Expansion: Advancements in digital technology have revolutionized India’s creative industries. Affordable smartphones, increased internet penetration, and the rise of streaming platforms such as YouTube and Instagram have opened up new global opportunities for creators across the country. This digital surge has also given birth to a wave of startups in gaming, animation, and digital storytelling, expanding job opportunities and fostering innovation.
Waves 2025; A Platform for Talent: The WAVES 2025 summit showcased more than 800 finalists from the “Create in India Challenge,” representing diverse creative fields like animation, music, film, and digital arts. The event underscored India’s emergence as a global content creation hub, with government officials encouraging collaborations with international partners under the slogan “Create in India and Create for the World.”
Government Initiatives Fueling Growth: The Indian government has launched several programs to support the Orange Economy, including:
• A $1 billion fund dedicated to nurturing creative startups and content creators.
• The establishment of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies in Mumbai, with an investment of Rs 4 billion, aimed at training skilled professionals in creative disciplines.
• The “Mukhyamantri Shiksha Gunvatta Abhiyan” in states like Chhattisgarh, designed to improve education quality and build a future-ready creative workforce.
• Conservation and digital archiving projects like the Gyan Bharatam Mission, aimed at preserving millions of manuscripts to inspire innovation.
These efforts focus on enhancing infrastructure, protecting intellectual property, and encouraging entrepreneurship in creative sectors.
Challenges On The Horizon: Despite strong progress, challenges remain, such as limited funding access for small creators, weak enforcement of intellectual property rights, and the need for wider and more accessible education and training programs in creativity—especially beyond metropolitan areas.
Conclusion: India’s Orange Economy is far more than just a cultural phenomenon; it is a major contributor to economic development and job creation. With its rich cultural diversity, large pool of talent, and growing digital ecosystem, India is well-positioned to become a global leader in creative industries. The government’s support and initiatives like WAVES 2025 demonstrate a clear commitment to fostering a vibrant creative economy that promotes sustainable and inclusive growth.
(The author are freelancers. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
Sumaya Jan
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Sameer Hussain Gull
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