Mumbai: India and the US are shaping a vibrant and technology-driven creative economy as the future of the media and entertainment sector lies in collaboration, the US-India Business Council (USIBC) has said.
In his remarks at the WAVES Summit, USIBC Executive Director for Digital Economy Jacob Gullish also said India offers unmatched storytelling heritage while the US brings cutting-edge technologies.
The USIBC, in partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, hosted the inaugural ‘US-India Creativity Showcase’ on Friday, spotlighting the growing strategic convergence between the two nations in media, entertainment, gaming, and creative technologies.
The event, featuring global executives, government leaders and creators, was part of at the WAVES (World Audio Visual and Entertainment) Summit.
“The future of the media and entertainment sector lies in collaboration and technology development that shares stories and pertinent information tapping new business models, platforms, and genres -? esports, anime, and video shorts,” Gullish said at the event.
“India offers unmatched storytelling heritage and a young, digitally native audience, while the United States brings global scale and cutting-edge technologies ‘? and compelling stories of its own,” he said.
The USIBC powerful lobby group that works to promote trade and investment ties between India and the US.
Gullish said both sides are shaping “a vibrant, inclusive, and technology-driven creative economy”.
USIBC Managing Director Rahul Sharma said the showcase marks a “pivotal moment” in the Council’s efforts to bridge creative industries across both geographies.
“From streaming platforms and spatial audio to use of AI and ad technology, we’re seeing unprecedented synergy between the Indian and American content and distribution ecosystems,” he said.
The event featured addresses by Mike Hankey, the US Consular General, Mumbai, Chris Ripley, CEO, Sinclair, Inc., and Shashi Sinha, Chairman, Broadcast Audience Research Council, India who highlighted the commitment to nurturing the bilateral creative economy through innovation, regulatory clarity, and trusted partnerships, according to the USIBC.
“We are proud to support USIBC’s efforts to strengthen cross-border partnerships the create new distribution models for entertainment and sports,” said Chris Ripley, President & CEO, Sinclair, Inc.
“WAVES allowed us to engage directly with policymakers and creators to reaffirm our investment in direct-to-mobile technology.”
The USIBC said it convened two focused roundtables alongside the US-India Creativity Showcase — one on Media & Entertainment technology development via Global Capability Centers (GCCs), underscoring India’s role in tech-enabled creative collaboration, and another under its AI Task Force, addressing regulation, data privacy, and ethical AI use in the sector.
Both sessions explored pathways to deepen innovation and cross-border cooperation, it said in a statement.
Fireside chats and panels throughout the day brought together senior leaders from Sinclair, JetSynthesys, Accenture, Dolby, InMobi, Intel, Spotify, Snap, Warner Bros, it said.
The sessions explored immersive audio, gaming and esports, new voices and stories, and new models of technology advancement, the USIBC said.
A highlight of the day was the launch of the Netflix – ABAI “Women Back to Work 2025 VFX Programme, it added.
