Geostar Chairperson Nita Ambani showcased India's eternal cultural and spiritual heritage to the world from the stage of the WAVES 2025 conference held in Mumbai. In her keynote address titled 'Taking India to the World', she said, "The light of India is nothing new—it has been spreading to different parts of the world for millennia."
According to Nita Ambani, India had established its culture on the world stage even before the internet or modern technology. In ancient times, hundreds of Buddhist monks came to India in search of knowledge, culture and spirituality. In her words, "The light of India has advanced far. Even today, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Shiva, Ram and Ganesh are worshipped in several countries including Japan and Indonesia. Even the touch of Indian temple architecture can be found in Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Borobudur in Indonesia and Cham temples in Vietnam."
She said, “India’s philosophy has not been confined to the country alone—it has left a deep impression on the minds of the world’s greatest thinkers.” According to her, “India is not just a cradle of civilization, but a powerful cultural hub whose time has come again.”
Nita Ambani also said, “Our storytelling—from storytelling, folk tales, temple paintings to today’s cinema—is the soul of India.” She said that India continues to win the hearts of the world through drama, music, literature, film, art and handicrafts.
She also spoke about the Reliance Foundation’s initiative. “We believe that culture has the power to unite, a source of inspiration. Therefore, our goal is to fulfill our responsibility by preserving, reviving and respecting Indian art and heritage.” With this vision, the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre was established, with the aim of showcasing India to the world and bringing the world’s best to the Indian audience.
He said that the foundation has started a program called Swadesh, which is working to bring ancient Indian handicrafts and crafts to the international level. “These artists carry not only work, but also tradition—there is a memory of centuries in their every scratch.”
From the stage of this conference, he announced that his cultural center will organize a special exhibition of Indian culture “Grand Indian Weekend” at the Lincoln Center in New York next September.
The four-day WAVES 2025 conference, which began with the inauguration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is a major step towards ensuring India’s leadership in the world’s entertainment and media industry. The summit, which is themed “Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries”, is attended by representatives from more than 90 countries, more than 10,000 participants, and more than 300 institutions.
This year, the Global Media Dialogue is being held for the first time at WAVES, where ministerial-level representatives from 25 countries are participating. This further strengthens India’s connection to global media diplomacy.
In addition, a massive digital marketplace called WAVES Bazaar has been launched, connecting 6,100 buyers, 5,200 sellers and 2,100 projects. This will showcase Indian creativity to the world.
Nita Ambani's speech and the extensive arrangements for the WAVES conference show that today's India is poised to lead the world not only in technology and economics, but also in the power of culture.
