WAVES 2025 & Anti-Piracy Challenge

Prelims Bits

Context:

Finalists have been announced for the Anti-Piracy Challenge, a major component under WAVES 2025, focusing on protecting digital content in India.

Anti-Piracy Challenge – Key Details

• Initiative: A flagship segment of the Create in India Challenge under the WAVES 2025 banner.
• Objective: To counteract digital piracy, protect intellectual property rights, and strengthen India’s digital content infrastructure.
• Technological Solutions Involved:
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based content protection
  • Digital fingerprinting and watermarking
  • Blockchain-based encryption methods
  • Steganography techniques
• Impact Goal:
  • Targeting a reduction in piracy-induced losses, currently estimated at $1.2 billion annually
  • Aiming to safeguard over 158 million digital content consumers by 2029

About WAVES 2025 (World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit)

• Nature: An international summit platform for discussions around innovation, regulation, and advancement in the Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector.
• Organizers:
  • Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
  • In collaboration with entities like CII, IPHouse, TCS, and Hack2Skill
• Vision:
  • To establish India as a global leader in media innovation and creative content production
• Economic Relevance:
  • Strengthens India’s $30 billion creative economy
  • Supports a sector employing around 8% of the Indian workforce
  • Promotes India’s standing as the 5th largest global M&E market
• Cultural and Diplomatic Role:
  • Expands India’s soft power through international creative partnerships and content exports

Sectors & Technologies Covered

• Media Sectors:
  • Films, Television, Radio, Print, Broadcasting, Animation, VFX, Gaming, Comics, Sound, Advertising, Social Media
• Technological Focus:
  • Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR)
  • Virtual Reality (VR), Extended Reality (XR)
  • Advanced digital platforms and tools