India Must Build Global Creative Brands, Not Just Films: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw at WAVES 2025

Mumbai: Renowned business leader and Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw called on Indian startups in the creative sector to think beyond cinema and focus on building global brands, intellectual property, and immersive ecosystems. Speaking at an In Conversation session on Day 2 of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) at the Jio World Centre, Mumbai, Shaw outlined a bold vision for India’s creative economy in the coming decade.

In a wide-ranging discussion with Maneet Ahuja, Editor-at-Large at Forbes, on the theme “India’s Innovation Renaissance: The Next Decade of Global-First Startups,” Shaw said, “It’s time for India to create new stories that blend tradition with technology. Just as George Lucas drew from Indian epics for Star Wars, we must harness our cultural heritage to build global franchises.”

Highlighting the economic opportunity in the media and entertainment space, Shaw said India’s creative economy — often referred to as the Orange Economy — is a sleeping giant. “The M&E sector contributes $20 billion to our GDP today. We must aim for $100 billion, and eventually a $1 trillion Orange Economy by 2047, aligned with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” she said.

She emphasized that success in the creative economy, much like in biotech, starts with a single idea, backed by strategy, resilience, and innovation. “I started Biocon in a garage. If we could build a global biotech company from scratch, we can build global-first creative startups too,” she added.

With over a billion smartphones and a digitally native Gen Z population, Shaw said India is uniquely positioned to lead the next wave of content innovation. But to do so, she stressed the need for original storytelling and technological integration. “The next unicorns won’t just be platforms or apps. They will be creators who deeply understand IP, AR/VR, and immersive storytelling,” she said.

Referencing the global success of Naatu Naatu from RRR, Shaw remarked that Indian creativity must move beyond diaspora-driven content to become universally relevant.

Encouraging young creators and entrepreneurs, Shaw said the journey of building world-class ventures demands originality, courage, and patience. “Every great idea starts small. What matters is how far you take it. Failure is part of the journey,” she reflected.

As WAVES 2025 continues to spotlight India’s evolving role in the global media and entertainment landscape, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw’s session served as a rallying cry for a new wave of innovation-led creative entrepreneurship — one that sees India not just as a content consumer but as a global content creator and IP powerhouse.