WAVES 2025: Jaishankar highlights importance of pluralism, cultural dimension in global change

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 2 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday emphasised the significance of pluralism and cultural dimension in global change at the WAVES 2025 Global Media Dialogue. He noted that the world is intrinsically diverse and that colonialism and big power dominance have suppressed this diversity.
He highlighted the strong cultural dimension of global change and the need to give voice to traditions and heritage. Jaishankar stressed the importance of balancing technology and tradition to build a better future.

Speaking at the #WAVES2025 Global Media Dialogue. #WAVESummit
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— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 2, 2025

"We have a microcosm of the global community at WAVES. Content creators, policy makers, actors, writers, producers, visual artists, and others. And the lively conversations and the intense networking we seek to promote are supplemented by exhibitions, innovation pavilions, creativity bazaars and technology kiosks. However, this conversation at the beginning of day two holds a special significance because we are discussing the contours of the emerging environment as policy makers," he said.
Jaishankar stressed that democratising the international system requires political and economic independence and giving voice to traditions, heritage, and creativity. He emphasised that each culture has a right to express itself and must be facilitated.
"We all speak of a world under transformation. Recognising that the change process has a strong cultural dimension is vital. The truth is that the world is intrinsically and essentially diverse and that pluralism has been suppressed in the past by colonialism and big power dominance," he said.
The minister highlighted the importance of harnessing technology's power while preserving tradition. He said that modernity is not a rejection of the past but a constant quest built on human achievements.
"As we seek now to democratise the international system, it is not enough to just assert political and economic independence. It is equally essential that we give voice to our traditions, to our heritage, to ideas, to practices and to our creativity. There are many voices, many experiences and many truths that make up our world. Each one has a right to express itself and must be facilitated to do so," he said.
"That is best done by harnessing technology's power more effectively in its application and evolution. We must be guided by the belief that modernity is not a rejection of the past but a constant quest built on human achievements. For that reason, technology and tradition must go hand in hand," he added.
He emphasized the role of technology and innovation in creating a developed India by 2047.
"Technology can strengthen awareness of our vast heritage and deepen consciousness, especially for younger generations. We also bear in mind that innovation is key to the leapfrogging that will create a developed India by 2047, what we call Viksit Bharat," he said.
Jaishankar said that physical logistics, alongside digital connectivity is vital for creating a global workforce.
"As the world comes closer, we can contemplate both a global workplace and a global workforce. Both digital connectivity and physical logistics make this a growing reality," he said.
Jaishankar stressed that people have to adapt to shifting mindsets simultaneously.
"But we need accompanying mindsets, frameworks, policies, and practice shifts. Remember, neither talent nor tasking will be stationary. Smoother mobility can certainly contribute to stronger creativity," he said.
"Every era has its mode of communication, of storytelling, of entertainment, and of its pastimes. We have seen it evolve from the oral and the written to the visual and the digital," he said.
Jaishankar said that today the younger generation has access to a lot of information and must be ready for it.
"Today, there is a surplus of information, and the challenge is actually how to get attention. This challenge will create an age of creative coms, creative sports, and collaboration. And young talent must be made ready for it, including through skills diffusion," he said.
He added that AI holds numerous possibilities, and all new advancements come with their own challenges, as AI is bringing about deep changes in various domains.
"We all sense, we all know that the era of AI holds possibilities beyond imagination. Never before have we visualised such deep changes across such vast domains. Never before can we combine innovations from such diverse fields so effectively. Our sense of the past and the present can be redefined even as we are working for the future with all its accompanying consequences. Now, every advancement comes with its issues, and AI will be no different," he said.
He added that today, businesses grapple with intellectual property crises and other challenges.
"Even as the politics of this era will grapple with the concerns of authenticity, businesses will have to deal with new intellectual property challenges as they promote innovation and creativity for all," he said.
Jaishankar added that the emerging technology must be accompanied by reducing bias as a part of our ethics.
"The responsible use of emerging technologies will be an increasing preoccupation. Reducing bias, democratizing content and prioritising its ethics are all part of the emerging discourse, and there is much more there that will unfold," he said.
Jaishankar expressed confidence that the WAVES platform will deliberate on issues in the entertainment industry.
"So friends, I'm confident that the Waves platform will serve to deliberate on the key issues before the global media, entertainment and creative worlds. Once again I welcome you all to this session and look forward to a productive round table," he said.
WAVES 2025 is India's first-of-its-kind international summit dedicated to the audio-visual and entertainment sectors. It brings together over 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, 300 companies, and 350 startups, creating a powerful cross-sectoral network.
The event encompasses the entire spectrum of media and emerging technologies, from film and OTT to AVGC-XR, comics, AI, and broadcasting. The four-day event, which began on May 1, will run from May 1 to May 4. (ANI)