“Shades of the Orange Economy: How BRICS WAVES is Summoning India’s Gen Z Creative Empire”

Yooo besties, what’s good?! Your girl is HERE and I am vibrating with main character energy because something absolute FIRE is going down in Mumbai right now, and if you’re even remotely into films, OTT, gaming, VFX, animation, or just the whole creator economy glow-up… you NEED to lock in. I’m talking about the BRICS WAVES Bazaar that’s taking over the Trident Hotel at Nariman Point on 6–7 August 2026. Over 500 delegates from 21 BRICS member and partner countries are packing the place, and the vibes? Absolutely unmatched. This isn’t some boring suit-and-tie conference, bestie. This is the ultimate collab marketplace where Global South creatives are linking up, cooking up deals, and rewriting the rules of storytelling. No cap.

Under India’s BRICS Chairship (and yes, PM Modi’s vision of “Building Resilience and Innovation for Cooperation and Sustainability” is the whole aesthetic), the National Film Development Corporation and the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting rolled out the red carpet for governments, producers, OTT bosses, tech startups, investors, women-led founders, and cultural icons. The goal? Get those BRICS stories to BRICS audiences, periodt. South-South collabs, co-productions, content financing, digital drops, IP protection, ethical AI… the whole menu is stacked.

Day 1 kicked off yesterday (August 6) with pure chaos in the best way. Maharashtra’s Electronics, IT, AI and Culture Minister Ashish Shelar came through with the keynote and straight-up declared Mumbai the heart of India’s creative ecosystem. He called the Bazaar “not merely an exhibition, but a high-powered confluence designed to shape the future of the global creative economy.” Orange Economy energy unlocked — where heritage, creativity, and commerce collide and create soft power that hits different. The man was talking art + tech boundaries dissolving, and I felt that in my soul.

I&B Secretary Chanchal Kumar was next-level hyped. He dropped that this isn’t a one-off; they want the WAVES Bazaar to evolve into a permanent platform for business partnerships, co-productions, tech collabs, and market access across the entire BRICS creative ecosystem. He pointed out how BRICS countries together hold a massive reservoir of stories, talent, audiences, tech, and enterprise — and this Bazaar is the matchmaker connecting them systematically. Films, series, animation, VFX, gaming, music, digital content… everything’s on the table so audiences across member and partner nations can finally binge each other’s content without the usual gatekeeping. And yes, he already invited everyone to the next big WAVES edition in Mumbai in 2027. Future is locked in.

Ashutosh Gowariker (yes, the Lagaan legend and IFFI Festival Director) showed up with pure cinema uncle energy and invited the whole squad to the BRICS Film Festival happening alongside IFFI in November 2026. Around 250 films across eight sections — that’s the cultural sidekick to this business bazaar. One builds the market, the other builds the audience. Genius pairing.

But wait, the real tea from the last couple of days? The conversations around ethical AI are giving major “protect the creators” energy. Indonesian Consul General and other leaders stressed that AI has to stay under human control, no wild west stuff. Protect IP, prevent misuse, keep the cultural soul intact while still riding the tech wave. Policymakers and industry heads are pushing for streamlined co-production treaties, stronger cross-border distribution networks, and frameworks that actually boost storytelling from the Global South instead of drowning it. Women-led entrepreneurship panels? Serving. Emerging tech and digital transformation chats? Serving harder.

The Creators’ Hub is the exhibition space where startups, studios, tech providers, and service companies are flexing their innovations. Exhibition stalls, product showcases, the works. Then you’ve got those curated B2B meetings that are pure matchmaking magic — producers linking with OTT platforms, investors hunting for the next big co-pro, distributors scouting content. It’s structured networking that actually converts into deals and long-term partnerships. This whole thing hits different because the creative economy already contributes 3.1% to global GDP and over $1.4 trillion in international services exports. BRICS is uniquely positioned with digital markets + rich cultural heritage to own this space. Under India’s chairship theme of resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability, they’re institutionalising these collabs so they’re not just Instagram-worthy moments but actual policy and commercial pipelines.

As a Gen Z who grew up on Bollywood + K-dramas + Brazilian soaps + African storytelling apps, this feels personal. For too long the Global North controlled the narrative pipeline. Now Mumbai is saying “hold my chai” and building the bridge. Content financing that actually works for emerging creators? Check. IP frameworks that don’t leave us exposed? Check. Women founders getting real market access? Double check.I’m already daydreaming about the Indo-Brazilian animation projects, the Russia-India gaming collabs, the South Africa-India OTT series, the ethical AI tools that keep our stories authentic. The energy in those halls right now is electric — 500+ people from across continents all vibing on the same wavelength: let’s make BRICS content travel without losing its soul.If you’re a creator, producer, investor, or just a culture nerd reading this… mark your calendars for the BRICS Film Festival in November and start dreaming bigger for 2027. The WAVES are rising, and Mumbai is riding them all the way. This is the soft power era we deserve, and I’m so here for every single frame of it.Who else is obsessed already? Drop your thoughts below, besties — let’s keep this conversation going. The future of creative collabs just got a whole lot more desi, a whole lot more Global South, and a whole lot more lit.