The first edition of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai pulled in top politicians, businessmen, cine stars and content creators. But chaos marked the opening day with long lines at the entrance as the organisers made a mess of entry passes. However, the event, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who gave a clarion call for ‘create in India’, attracted a wave of announcements, notably an Indian Institute of Creative Technology to be set up by the Ministry of I&B, along with FICCI and CII. Adobe announced it was setting up an AI-powered Creative Experience Studio with TCS. On Friday, the government said Waves Bazaar had clocked deals worth ₹250 crore, and it expected to close the event with transactions of over ₹400 crore.
The protein push
Amul’s recent ad for its protein kulfi set off not just a meme fest but also a debate on whether brands are pushing the biomolecules too much. All sorts of protein products are now in the market, and marketers and nutritionists are weighing in on whether it is excessive and out of hand. Meanwhile, it was a whey protein product that sparked an important judgment in the Delhi High Court, which ruled that social media influencers can make public statements against consumer brands, including naming the brand, provided they are backed by scientific evidence. The case in question was the one between San Nutrition and influencer Arpit Mangal.