WAVES Summit and the Orange Economy in India

03 May WAVES Summit and the Orange Economy in India

This article covers “Daily Current Affairs” and the Topic of the WAVES Summit and the Orange Economy in India

SYLLABUS MAPPING:

GS-03- Indian Economy: WAVES Summit and the Orange Economy in India

FOR PRELIMS

What is Orange Economy, role of skill development and education in enabling the growth of the Orange Economy in India.

FOR MAINS

The Indian government facilitate the growth of this sector, impact of the Orange Economy on India and the challenges faced by the creative.

Why in the News? 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, marking a major step in India’s entertainment and content creation industries. The summit, a first in India, brings together stakeholders from sectors like broadcasting, infotainment, AVGC-XR, films, and digital media. Modi highlighted the role of Indian content creators in driving economic growth and promised future initiatives, such as the WAVES awards. His visit to Maharashtra, Kerala, and Andhra Pradesh further emphasizes the government’s focus on fostering both creative industries and large-scale infrastructure projects for holistic development.

What is the WAVES Summit?

The WAVES Summit is an international forum hosted by India to recognize and empower the cultural and creative economy under the broader G20 umbrella. The name WAVES is an acronym that encapsulates Women, Audiovisual, Visuals, Entertainment, and Skills—areas seen as pillars of the Orange Economy. It promotes cultural diversity, artistic freedom, gender inclusivity, and skill development in creative industries. The summit also serves as a platform for policy dialogue, investment opportunities, and global cultural exchange. The 2023 edition saw participation from international delegates, stakeholders from film, music, gaming, and design industries, as well as young creators. Through WAVES, India seeks to institutionalize culture as an economic driver, particularly focusing on empowering women and youth through entrepreneurship and education.

Orange Economy in India 

The Orange Economy refers to the sector of the economy based on creativity, culture, and innovation. It includes industries such as music, dance, theatre, crafts, design, film, media, publishing, gaming, architecture, and visual arts. This term was popularized by Inter-American Development Bank economists and has now been adopted globally to represent the creative sector. In India’s context, the Orange Economy represents the confluence of its ancient heritage and modern innovation. It emphasizes both traditional artisanship—such as Madhubani paintings and handlooms—and emerging digital arts like animation, AR/VR content, and music streaming platforms. It is inherently inclusive, with vast potential to provide jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities in rural as well as urban areas. This economy thrives on intellectual property, cultural identity, and storytelling—core strengths of India’s diverse society.

Data and Scale of Orange Economy in India

According to industry estimates, India’s creative economy is growing at over 12% annually, contributing nearly $150 billion to GDP and employing over 8 million people. The film industry alone is one of the largest in the world, producing more than 2,000 films annually. Similarly, the animation and VFX industry crossed ₹10,000 crore in 2022 and continues to expand. India is home to over 3,000 craft forms and hosts one of the world’s largest design and textile clusters. The digital content creation sector—including YouTube creators and independent musicians—is seeing exponential growth. Yet, despite its size and impact, the creative economy remains largely informal, and many segments are underrepresented in national economic planning.

Importance of WAVES Summit to Promote the Orange Economy

The WAVES Summit is vital to elevating the Orange Economy from a peripheral to a central pillar of development policy. By focusing on areas like skills training, digital platforms, and international collaboration, the summit provides structural support to creative entrepreneurs and strengthens cultural infrastructure. It acts as a launchpad for government and private sector partnerships, policy dialogues, and cross-cultural collaborations. It also helps spotlight underrepresented groups such as tribal artisans, women creators, and rural designers, giving them both recognition and a platform to scale their work globally. The summit showcases India’s creative potential to the world, helping attract global investment, increase exports of cultural products, and create jobs through cultural tourism and digital platforms.
Key Highlights of the WAVES Summit:
1. Hosted during India’s G20 presidency in 2023 under the Culture Working Group, themed around “Culture Unites All.”
2. Over 800 delegates participated, including policymakers, artists, industry leaders, and youth creators.
3. Focus areas included digital empowerment of artisans, sustainability in cultural production, and gender inclusion in creative industries.
4. Live performances, exhibitions, and panel discussions featured across disciplines—film, music, crafts, digital art, and animation.
5. Global participation from 29+ countries helped promote intercultural dialogue and shared strategies for creative sector growth.
6. Women-led enterprises and tribal art forms were specially highlighted through curated exhibitions and storytelling sessions.
The summit’s multi-stakeholder approach ensures that creativity is treated not only as heritage but also as a strategic economic asset that fuels innovation, employment, and soft power.

Key Government Initiatives to Promote Orange Economy

1. Scheme for Promotion of Traditional Arts and Crafts (SPTAC): This scheme supports skill development, marketing assistance, and digital outreach for traditional artisans across India. Over 1.5 lakh artisans have benefitted from skill training and capacity-building workshops under various SPTAC-linked initiatives. Example: In Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, SPTAC-supported workshops have helped revive endangered tribal art forms like Saura and Gond painting, with e-commerce onboarding through platforms like GeM and Tribes India.
2. MSE-CDP (Micro & Small Enterprises Cluster Development Programme) and SFURTI (Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries): These schemes provide financial support to create common facility centres and promote creative clusters in crafts, handlooms, coir, khadi, and other traditional sectors. Under SFURTI alone, 450+ clusters have been approved, directly benefiting over 2 lakh artisans and weavers as of 2023. Example: The Channapatna Toy Cluster in Karnataka and the Banarasi Silk Cluster in Uttar Pradesh have received SFURTI support to modernize tools and boost exports.
3. National Digital Library & Design Innovation Centres (DICs): These initiatives aim to integrate digital learning with creative arts, promoting access to cultural knowledge and fostering innovation in design. The National Digital Library hosts over 1 crore digital resources, including music, art history, and multimedia archives for students and researchers. Example: DICs at institutes like IIT Guwahati and NID Ahmedabad run projects on sustainable design, crafts-tech integration, and rural innovation labs.
4. Prasar Bharati and Doordarshan Programs: The national broadcaster promotes regional folk, tribal, and classical art forms through dedicated programming slots and digital channels. DD Bharati and All India Radio air over 100 hours/week of traditional music, dance, and storytelling content, reaching audiences in 23 languages. Example: Shows like Sur Sagar, Desh Ki Dharti, and Lok Rang have brought lesser-known artists from Assam, Nagaland, and Chhattisgarh to the national stage.
5. Startup India & Atmanirbhar Bharat: These flagship schemes offer financial support, mentorship, and incubation for startups in fields like digital art, music-tech, content creation, and cultural tourism. As of 2024, over 850+ creative economy startups are registered under Startup India, including platforms like Stage.in (regional OTT) and Mojarto (online art marketplace). Example: Startups using AI in music composition or regional language dubbing have received support under the Atmanirbhar Innovation Challenge.
6. Creative Economy Task Force under G20: Constituted during India’s G20 Presidency, this task force aims to mainstream policy coordination and long-term investment in the creative sector. It proposed the setting up of a National Creative Economy Council, interlinking ministries of culture, commerce, education, and skill development. Example: Its action plan emphasizes fiscal incentives for cultural exports and integrating creative entrepreneurship in school curriculums by 2030.

Challenges in Promoting the Orange Economy

1. Lack of Formal Recognition: Many creative professionals, such as folk musicians, street performers, tattoo artists, and tribal painters, operate in the informal economy, lacking official certifications or registrations. This leads to exclusion from government schemes, credit benefits, or welfare measures like pensions or insurance.For example, UNESCO data indicates that over 60% of creative professionals in South Asia remain informally employed, leading to invisibility in policymaking.
2. Skilling and Education Gap: Despite the vast creative heritage, formal education in arts, crafts, and design remains limited and urban-centric. Rural and tribal youth often lack access to institutions like NID, FTII, or Srishti School of Design, widening the opportunity gap. According to a FICCI report (2023), only 8–10% of students in rural India are exposed to structured art and culture education in schools.
3. Inadequate Access to Finance: Creative entrepreneurs often cannot provide traditional collateral or steady revenue histories, making banks reluctant to offer credit. Less than 20% of artisan-led enterprises have accessed formal credit, according to the MSME Ministry (2022). NBFCs and cooperative banks rarely have products tailored to sectors like folk music, storytelling apps, or rural fashion labels.
4. Digital Divide: Many artists, especially in remote regions, lack access to affordable internet, smartphones, or e-commerce knowledge. According to the NSSO 2019 survey, only 14% of rural households had access to the internet, creating severe market entry barriers. This prevents artisans from uploading their products to portals like Amazon Karigar, or leveraging YouTube/Instagram for global outreach.
5. IP Protection Issues: India faces challenges in protecting intangible cultural heritage and original creative work due to weak IP enforcement mechanisms. Traditional knowledge and folk designs are often copied by larger companies without adequate attribution or royalty-sharing. For example, there have been cases of Madhubani paintings and Kanjeevaram designs being used without permission on foreign products.
6. Low Global Visibility: Although India boasts a deep pool of cultural assets, it has a small share in the global creative goods market, dominated by countries like South Korea and the UK. UNESCO estimates India’s share of global creative exports to be less than 1%, far behind its potential. Limited participation in international festivals, fairs, and digital showcases has restricted the international reach of Indian creators.

Way Forward

1. Institutionalize the Orange Economy: Include creative sectors in national GDP calculations, economic surveys, and employment data frameworks like PLFS and NSSO.This will improve policy targeting and resource allocation. For example, Mexico and Colombia officially track creative economy contributions in national accounts, aiding structured growth planning.
2. Develop Skill Ecosystems: Establish more design and creative arts institutes in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and integrate arts education into school curricula. Launch partnerships with platforms like SWAYAM, Coursera, and Khan Academy for creative MOOCs, and promote apprenticeships with master artisans.
3. Facilitate Access to Credit and Insurance: Develop creative economy-specific credit instruments such as revenue-based financing, micro-loans, and IP-backed loans. Institutions like SIDBI and NABARD can create specialized loan windows, while insurance models for irregular income earners in arts can be piloted.
4. Expand Market Access: Strengthen linkages to domestic e-commerce (like ONDC, Amazon Karigar, Flipkart Samarth) and international digital platforms. Organize virtual expos, digital craft bazaars, and pop-up events in tourism hotspots to increase discoverability and sales.
5. Boost Global Cultural Diplomacy: Institutionalize cultural components in international trade delegations, embassies, and bilateral events (e.g., India@75 diaspora showcases). Promote Indian design, dance, cinema, and digital art in platforms like Venice Biennale, Cannes, and Expo Dubai to build India’s soft power.
6. Strengthen IP and Cultural Rights: Launch awareness drives and toolkits in regional languages about copyrights, GIs, and design rights tailored to artisans and creators. Establish legal aid clinics and mobile IPR support units, especially in areas like Odisha, Kutch, and Northeast India, to protect traditional knowledge and artistic originality.

Conclusion

The WAVES Summit marks a bold step toward mainstreaming India’s creative sector as a driver of economic growth, cultural preservation, and social inclusion. With the right policy support, institutional frameworks, and global promotion, the Orange Economy can become a cornerstone of India’s journey toward a knowledge-driven and inclusive future. It offers not just jobs and innovation but also a reaffirmation of India’s civilizational strengths in a rapidly evolving world. As global demand for cultural products, experiences, and digital content rises, India stands well-positioned to lead through its rich diversity and demographic dividend. Sustained investment and visibility in the creative economy will be key to achieving both economic resilience and cultural leadership in the 21st century.

mindmap:

Prelims Questions

Q. With reference to the “Orange Economy”, consider the following statements:
1. It includes sectors like visual arts, music, fashion, media, and design.
2. It contributes to GDP solely through tourism-related activities.
3. India has established a Creative Economy Task Force under the G20 platform.
4. The Orange Economy does not require formal education or skilling.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A. 1 and 3 only
B. 2 and 4 only
C. 1, 3, and 4 only
D. 1, 2, and 3 only
ANSWER: A