Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 44/25

MEDIA INTERACTION (VARTA) ON WAVES CREATES DIALOGUE ON CONTENT CREATION IN SHILLONG

In the run-up to the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) scheduled to be held in Mumbai from May 1st to 4th, 2025, a special Media Interaction (Varta) was organised today by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) Shillong in association with the Shillong Press Club.

The event brought together key voices from the media and entertainment sector to explore opportunities, innovations, and the future prospects for Indian content creators at a global scale. The session opened with a welcome address by Shri Gopajit Das, Assistant Director, PIB Shillong, who welcomed the distinguished guests and underlined the vision behind WAVES - to promote India as a one-stop destination for content creation, investment, and global outreach under the 'Create in India' initiative. Addressing the gathering, Smt. Ibankyntiew Mawrie, senior media professional, and Executive Member of the Shillong Press Club spoke about the transformative potential of WAVES, saying that WAVES offers a tremendous platform for Indian creators to connect globally and showcase our rich storytelling traditions. It brings together professionals, creators, investors, and tech visionaries onto a single platform to collaborate, share ideas, and forge new partnerships. She further elaborated on the pillars of WAVES, which include diverse segments such as the Create in India Challenge, the WAVES Bazaar for showcasing and marketing products, live concerts featuring national and international artists, and interactive sessions with chief policymakers shaping the media and entertainment industry.

Sharing a content creator’s perspective, Shri Ferdinand Rani, content creator from Shillong, and popularly known as Code Freeman, reflected on the evolving landscape stating, “The lines between traditional media and social media are increasingly blurred. WAVES 2025 aims to shatter these boundaries, bringing people from every corner of the industry onto a common platform. For creators like us in Meghalaya, WAVES provides not just visibility but a real opportunity to turn our passion into sustainable livelihoods by connecting directly with investors and the global market.”

Actor and content creator Shri Dawan Kharkongor who is attending the WAVE Summit in Mumbai as a representative from Meghalaya emphasised the importance of regional narratives in the global media landscape highlighting, “WAVES will help amplify our local stories, languages, and cultures onto the world stage. As someone who once struggled as an aspiring actor due to lack of accessibility and networking, being part of WAVES today to represent Meghalaya feels like a major breakthrough. It is a bridge for the Northeast to connect with mainstream media industries, and I hope the initiative continues beyond 2025.”

Adding to the discussion on innovation and entrepreneurship, Shri. Aafaque Hussain, Staff Reporter from The Shillong Times and Executive Member of the Shillong Press Club, said, “We are all content creators in today’s world. Social media today has become a powerful tool for creators to showcase talent and build livelihoods. WAVES will help our youth take content creation more seriously, and open doors to investment, collaboration, and industry exposure. This summit is not just about networking, but it is also about placing India firmly at the forefront of the global media and entertainment industry.”

Aafaque Hussain is also one of the journalists from the North East who is attending the WAVES as part of the Press Tour being conducted by PIB. The Varta on WAVES provided a platform for dialogue among stakeholders and content creators, setting a positive tone ahead of the WAVES Summit.

It may be mentioned that two young creators from the state have made it to the national stage at WAVES 2025. Mark Ryan Syiemlieh, a 22-year-old from Lummawbah, Upper Shillong, has secured a spot in the Top 10 of ‘Resonate: The EDM Challenge’. He will now gear up to showcase his original sound on the WAVES global stage in Mumbai from May 1–4, 2025. Additionally, Khambor Batei Kharjana has been selected among the Top 42 finalists at the Animation Film Makers Competition (AFC) for his project “Lapalang: A Khasi Folklore Reimagined”, as part of the Create in India Challenge Season-1. WAVES 2025 is expected to bring together industry leaders, innovators, policymakers, and creators from across the world to promote collaboration, trade opportunities, and new pathways for shaping the future of media and entertainment.