Creativity—not just code—will fuel the country’s next phase of growth, said Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen during his address at the WAVES Summit 2025 on Thursday.
Speaking about the future of India’s digital economy, Narayen remarked, “India’s next unicorns won’t be applications—they’ll be creators.” With over 100 million content creators in India and a decade-long 10% rise in freelance creative talent, he pointed to a structural shift in value creation. “Technology no longer ends with apps. It begins with imagination,” he added.
He highlighted how tools such as Adobe’s Firefly, Premiere Pro, and Substance are equipping individuals—not just enterprises—with the ability to ideate, produce, and distribute content to global standards. Narayen’s statement was not merely a celebration of creators, but a bold assertion that India’s digital transformation is entering a new chapter.
He illustrated how generative AI is enabling creators to transcend traditional boundaries by supporting ideation, design, and hyper-personalised storytelling across formats and languages. With rising consumption of regional and short-form video content, creators—particularly those from smaller cities—now have the tools and audiences to scale ideas into enterprises.
“Whether it’s a YouTuber in Indore or a game designer in Kochi, India’s new economic assets are individuals who can command attention and monetise creativity globally,” Narayen emphasised.
This evolution is being accelerated by India’s unique position across the AI value chain: rich local datasets for training, a rapidly expanding mobile-first user base, and a culture of jugaad-driven innovation. Narayen stressed that with the right policy support, India could take the lead in building domain-specific large language models (LLMs), AI agents, and creator-first platforms.
However, with power comes responsibility. Narayen underscored the importance of ethical AI—one that protects intellectual property and ensures proper attribution. He also advocated for widespread AI literacy and creator-focused entrepreneurship programmes to ensure this revolution remains inclusive. “AI should be the co-pilot, not the creator,” he stated.
Highlighting India’s unique role in developing AI-powered frameworks—from applications to data infrastructure—Narayen outlined a four-fold strategy: supercharge creativity and production, innovate business models, lead an AI-skilled workforce, and foster entrepreneurship.
He concluded by thanking the Government of India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for establishing a visionary platform through WAVES. According to Narayen, the WAVES Summit is not just a conference—it is a turning point. “We are entering an era where creators are companies, and ideas are capital. India is ready. The world is watching.”
