Blitz Bureau
MUMBAI:Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayen emphasised that creativity – more than software code – will be the core driver of India’s future economy.
Speaking at the WAVES 2025 summit, Narayen highlighted India’s immense potential, citing over two crore students and five lakh educators who can benefit from access to digital creativity tools, offered freely in partnership with Adobe.
He noted that India’s thriving IT services sector, which has generated over $250 billion in revenue, has significantly contributed to the country’s economic expansion in recent years. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan lauded India’s rise as a global creative force, revealing that the platform has paid Rs 21,000 crore to Indian creators, artists, and media companies over the last three years.
He announced an additional investment of Rs 8,500 crore to expand India’s digital creator economy, during his address. “In the past year alone, thousands of Indian creators reached global audiences,” he said, attributing this rise to the cultural richness and adaptability of Indian creators.
Mark Read, CEO of global advertising leader WPP, underscored the crucial role of advertising in the modern global economy. He noted that advertising continues to be at the forefront of successive technology revolutions and is a key driver of the ongoing fifth industrial revolution. He highlighted how advertising giants like Google and Meta are now making ad tools accessible to smaller businesses, opening new pathways for entrepreneurship and economic participation.
“In India, advertising plays a vital role in promoting innovation and supporting economic development,” Read stated.
