Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 2 (ANI): Actor Karthi Sivakumar hopes that the ongoing summit in Mumbai, WAVES 2025, will benefit the film industry in terms of taxes and theatre permissions.

While talking to ANI, Sivakumar lauded the government's initiative for the summit. He believes it will help the entertainment industry be recognised as an 'industry', which will eventually help the artists and distributors.

'From what I've been hearing from the people, it's so good to bring everyone from India, all the creators, on one platform and showcase to the world. So I think it's an excellent initiative and I hope it continues every year,' said Karthi Sivakumar.

'It should be a big boost for the industry because the film industry is not recognised as such, and we do not have the benefits. So once the government recognises this as an industry, we hope there will be more policies regarding taxes or permissions for theatres, and all that should become much easier,' added Sivakumar.

Singer and rapper Badshah called the WAVES platform one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'priorities'.

While talking to ANI, he said, 'I am sure this is one of his (PM Modi's) priorities. I can see the people's interest. I think it's a huge step towards launching India as a soft power other than Bollywood in the world. And I wish everybody all the best.'

South superstar Nagarjuna also lauded the WAVES 2025 and called it a 'great initiative' by the government of India for the film and media industry.

While talking to ANI, Nagarjuna opened up about the ongoing Mumbai summit centred on the entertainment, media and digital innovation. 'I am pleased to attend, and it's a great initiative by the government of India for the film media industry. It's a grand global launch,' said Nagarjuna.

PM Modi inaugurated WAVES 2025 on Thursday. WAVES 2025 will witness participation from over 90 countries, with more than 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, 300+ companies, and 350+ startups.

The summit will feature 42 plenary sessions, 39 breakout sessions, and 32 masterclasses spanning diverse sectors including broadcasting, infotainment, AVGC-XR, films, and digital media. (ANI)