By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 28: Key voices from the media and entertainment sector on Monday conglomerated for a special Media Interaction (Varta) organised by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), Shillong, in association with the Shillong Press Club, in the run-up to the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) scheduled to be held in Mumbai from May 1 to 4.
The event brought together leading professionals to explore opportunities, innovations and the future prospects for Indian content creators on a global scale.
The session opened with a welcome address by Gopajit Das, Assistant Director, PIB Shillong, who highlighted the vision behind WAVES—promoting India as a one-stop destination for content creation, investment and global outreach under the ‘Create in India’ initiative.
Addressing the gathering, senior media professional and Executive Member of the Shillong Press Club, Ibankyntiew Mawrie, spoke about the transformative potential of WAVES.
“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 said.
Content creator Ferdinand Rani, popularly known as Code Freeman, noted the changing media landscape.
“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,” Rani said.
On the other hand, actor and content creator Dawan Kharkongor, who will be attending the WAVES Summit in Mumbai as a representative from Meghalaya, emphasised the importance of amplifying local narratives, languages and cultures onto the world stage.
Meanwhile, Aafaque Hussain, Staff Reporter from The Shillong Times and Executive Member of the Shillong Press Club, highlighted the potential of the upcoming event.
“We are all content creators in today’s world. Social media has become a powerful tool to showcase talent and build livelihoods. WAVES will encourage our youth to take content creation more seriously and open doors to investment, collaboration, and industry exposure,” he said.
Hussain is also among the journalists selected from the Northeast to attend WAVES as part of the PIB’s Press Tour.
It may be mentioned that two young creators from Meghalaya 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.
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.