External Affairs Minister Jaishankar champions pluralism

Mumbai, May 2: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that there has been a critical need to revive pluralism that has been suppressed by colonialism and big power dominance.

Speaking at the Global Media Dialogue held during the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) in Mumbai on Friday, Jaishankar said, ìIt is essential that we give voice to our traditions, heritage, ideas, practices and creativity.î

Advocating for cultural expression in an evolving world order, he said, Technology and tradition must go hand in hand.î

Noting that technology could strengthen awareness of cultural heritage, particularly among younger generations, the External Affairs Minister while addressing the challenges of the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI) called for responsible use of emerging technologies, while reducing bias, democratising content, and prioritising its ethics.î

He stressed that preparing young talent through skill development was crucial for an age of creative collaborations.

Innovation is key to the leapfrogging that will build Viksit Bharat, Jaishankar said.

The high-profile event culminated in member nations adopting the landmark WAVES Declaration aimed at fostering global cooperation in media and entertainment.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw welcomed delegations from 77 countries to Mumbai, describing it as ìthe city of dreams.î

He said that ìculture inspires creativity which connects people across borders and noted the rapidly changing landscape of content creation due to technological advancements.

We are at an inflexion point where we need to incentivise local content creation, Vaishnaw said.

For ìcommon success,î he advocated ìco-production treaties, joint funds, and a declaration which helps bridge the digital divide, foster brotherhood, global peace, and harmony.

Vaishnaw envisioned transforming ìthe global bridge of creativity to an expressway of ideas.î

A key highlight of the dialogue was Indiaís announcement regarding the ëCreate in Indiaí challenges.

The first season had already identified over 700 top creators globally through 32 challenges.

India informed participating nations that the next edition would expand to include 25 global languages, enabling creative talent worldwide to showcase their content at future WAVES forums.

The Global Media Dialogue recognised films as powerful cultural ambassadors with ìimmense potential in bringing people closer, with participating nations specifically acknowledging Indian cinemas role in cross-cultural understanding.

The dialogue also noted how individual stories were emerging fast as a strong force in the creators economy as technology transforms storytelling and redefines entertainment.

Several member nations raised concerns about responsible journalism, suggesting that mutual collaborations through WAVES could effectively address these issues.

Other high-ranking officials at the event included Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) L Murugan and Secretary I&B Sanjay Jaju.

The WAVES Declaration, unanimously adopted by member nations, is expected to establish a comprehensive framework for international cooperation in media and entertainment, with particular emphasis on promoting cultural diversity, ethical use of emerging technologies, and collaborative content creation that respects cross-cultural sensitivities.