Mumbai, May 3 (KNN) India’s WAVES Bazaar, the flagship market initiative of the WAVES Summit, has successfully positioned itself as a platform for global media and entertainment collaboration.
Secretary of Information and Broadcasting, Sanjay Jaju, announced at the Mumbai event that the 2025 edition has already secured deals worth over Rs 250 crore, with expectations of exceeding Rs 400 crore by the conclusion of the event.
The inaugural edition attracted industry leaders fr0m 22 countries, including South Korea, Japan, the United States, Germany, Russia, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
The marketplace featured 95 global buyers and 224 sellers, with participation fr0m major industry players such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Meta, Disney Star, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony LIV, YRF, Dharma Productions, and Jio Studios.
The WAVES Bazaar structured its programming around three key components.
The Viewing Room and Market Screenings showcased 115 completed works to international buyers, with 15 projects selected as Top Selects and presented live.
The Pitch Room featured 16 curated projects selected fr0m 104 submissions, providing early-stage creators with direct access to industry stakeholders.
Additionally, India’s first dedicated B2B buyer-seller meetings were organized in association with FICCI fr0m May 1-3.
Several significant deals were announced during the event, including a post-production and VFX agreement between Khidki Gaon (a Top Selects film) and the Asian Cinema Fund.
A EUR 30 million Indo-European Animation Alliance was established between Broadvision Perspectives (India) and Fabrique d’Images Group (Europe) for the co-production of four animated features under Indo-French and Indo-Belgian treaty frameworks.
Further partnerships included an India-UK Co-Production MoU between Amanda Groom (The Bridge, UK) and Munjal Shroff (Graphiti Studios, India) to develop a slate of factual series exploring India’s colonial history.
TV Asahi announced the “Shin chan India Year” initiative, featuring theatrical releases and fan engagement events, further cementing Indo-Japanese cultural ties.
(KNN Bureau)
