Mumbai, May 1 (UNI) Describing entertainment sector as the new engine of development for the state and the country, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Thursday that with Maharashtra being at the forefront of this revolution, India is now ready to lead the world as a creative superpower.
Speaking after inauguration of WAVES-2025 conference at Jio Centre in Bandra-Kurla Complex in suburban Bandra, he said that in today's digital era, content travels faster than any other commodity.
Today, digital content, music, animation, games are being shaped on a global scale, he said.
He said that the state government is creating a conducive environment for this transformation and will
implement a capable policy for this.
The Chief Minister further said that the Film City in Mumbai, spread over an area of 500 acres, is now being developed as a global centre for next generation studio ecosystem.
He said that a media and entertainment city will be set up on 120 acres of this land and it will focus on animation, visual effects and gaming.
WAVES conference is not just an event but is a movement and it is being realised in Maharashtra with the inspiration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Fadnavis added.
Union Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said in his welcome speech that India is moving towards becoming a global hub of the creative industry through the Waves platform.
For the first time in India, the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) will be established in Mumbai, for which the central government has approved Rs 400 crore.
The establishment of this institute will be supported by international companies like Google, Apple, Microsoft and Adobe, he added.
On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a postage stamp commemorating the contribution of Guru Dutt, P Bhanumati, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, Salil Chaudhary to Indian cinema.
Meanwhile, Waves Advisory Board members Mohanlal, Hema Malini, Kartik Aaryan, S S Rajamouli, Rajinikanth, Anil Kapoor, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranbir Kapoor, Aamir Khan, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayan and others expressed their views on the occasion.
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