The inaugural season of the Create in India Challenge, launched under the flagship World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), is gearing up for a spectacular finale at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai from May 1 to May 4, 2025. The challenge has garnered remarkable attention, achieving nearly one million registrations, including more than 1,100 international participants from 60 countries. From this extraordinary talent pool, 750 finalists have been selected to showcase their innovative creations across animation, comics, AI, XR, gaming, music, and other genres on the specially curated platform, Creatosphere, at WAVES 2025. These finalists will compete for the prestigious WAVES Creator Awards, which will be conferred during a grand red-carpet ceremony on the second day of the event.
Creatosphere promises to be a melting pot of global creativity, welcoming 43 international finalists representing over 20 countries. Among the notable participants are finalists from Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Tajikistan, each contributing six finalists. Indonesia and the Maldives follow with five representatives each, while Mauritius contributes four. The United States is represented by two finalists, and Russia, Canada, Argentina, Laos, Malaysia, Bermuda, Egypt, Thailand, and the United Kingdom each have one finalist. These figures underscore the initiative’s growing international appeal and position India as a vibrant hub for cultural and creative innovation.
Domestically, the Create in India Challenge has seen enthusiastic participation from all 28 states and 8 Union Territories, reflecting its truly nationwide reach. Finalists hail from diverse regions across the country, ranging from Assam and Meghalaya in the East to Gujarat in the West, and from Himachal Pradesh in the North to Kerala in the South. This robust regional representation highlights India’s dynamic creative landscape and the initiative’s ability to unify the nation’s youth under one visionary platform.
Driven by the energy of youth, the Create in India Challenge predominantly features participants in their twenties, including college students, early-career professionals, and teen innovators. The youngest finalist is just 12 years old, while the oldest participant stands at 66, demonstrating the initiative’s commitment to inclusivity across generations. The program celebrates grassroots innovation through challenges like Innovate 2 Educate, aimed at making education more accessible, and Make the World Wear Khadi, which revives India’s textile legacy. Other standout themes include India: A Bird’s Eye View, showcasing breathtaking aerial storytelling through drone technology.
As anticipation for WAVES 2025 reaches its peak, the Create in India Challenge emerges as a shining example of India’s creative ambition, fostering diverse opportunities for talent and redefining India’s role as a global leader in the media and entertainment industry. True to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision that “WAVES should reach every home and every heart,” the challenge exemplifies India’s rising leadership on the international stage, empowering voices across borders and generations.
