Policymakers and industry stalwarts to headline Storyboard18’s Digital Entertainment Summit 2025

With the world's largest digital population and a media economy evolving at warp speed, India is asserting itself as a global force in the digital entertainment revolution.

The Storyboard18 Digital Entertainment Summit (DES), scheduled for June 27 at The Leela Palace in New Delhi, signals and celebrates this transformation. Backed by Network18 Group - with flagship platforms like CNBC-TV18, CNN-News18, Moneycontrol, and Forbes India - the summit comes at a time when the global digital power structure is being redefined, and India is in pole position.

Set against the backdrop of the government's landmark World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), DES 2025 aims to spotlight policy innovations, new frontiers in gaming, and the tech ecosystem's next growth wave.

The event is expected to unpack India's strategy for leading the digital entertainment economy, with top policymakers outlining how talent, technology, and governance will fuel future-ready growth.

Powering India's Next Entertainment Boom

India's digital momentum is backed by numbers. The country's gaming market alone clocked $3.8 billion in FY24 — a 23% YoY surge. Artificial intelligence, emerging tech, and digital skilling are converging to create an ecosystem ripe for innovation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for advancing the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) sector has already catalysed this surge.

At DES 2025, top policymakers and industry stalwarts will come together to chart the next course for India's entertainment and creative economy - especially in gaming, monetization, regulation, and skilling.

Jayant Chaudhary

Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Jayant Chaudhary will be a key voice at the summit. A third-generation politician and a modern reformer, Chaudhary has transitioned from farmer advocacy to shaping India's youth and startup-focused policy frameworks. With degrees from Delhi University and London School of Economics, his global perspective and grassroots grounding position him uniquely to scale India's talent pipeline for the entertainment and gaming sectors.

Chaudhary's ministry is a cornerstone for enabling India's creative and digital workforce - one that the summit will position as central to the next phase of the global media economy.

Sanjay Jaju

A seasoned officer from the 1992 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Jaju took charge as Secretary of the I&B Ministry of February 5, 2024. With a deep understanding of policy and reform, Jaju brings a wealth of cross-sectional experience to the ministry at a crucial moment when India's digital media economy is on the cusp of exponential growth.

Before taking over at the I&B Ministry, Jaju served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. There, he played a pivotal role in propelling India's defence and aerospace manufacturing through policies aimed at increasing investments under the "Make in India" initiative.

Earlier in his career, he served as Secretary in the Information Technology & Communications and Food and Civil Supplies Departments in the Government of Andhra Pradesh. Notably, he led the full-cycle execution of the Aadhaar registration drive across the undivided state - a foundational project that transformed welfare deilvery and identity verification.

Dr. L. Murugan

Dr. Loganathan Murugan brings with him a unique blend of legal expertise, grassroots political experience, and a deep understanding of public communication in the digital area.

A Rajya Sabha MP representing Madhya Pradesh, he has served in various capacities, most notably as Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting; and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying from 2021 to 2024.

His current portfolio reinforces his critical role in overseeing the evolving intersection of media, governance, and public discourse.

His legal acumen - shaped by a law degree from Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law College and a doctorate from the University of Madras - has been central to his public life. Before entering politics full-time, he practiced law for over 15 years and served as Standing Counsel to the Government of India at the Madras High Court.

Dilsher Malhi

A firm believer in responsible innovation, Malhi has built Zupee into a powerhouse of culture-driven, tech-first casual gaming - earning the trust of over 100 million users across the country.

At just 23, the IIT Kanpur alumnus founded Zupee in 2018 with a mission to reimagine traditional Indian games for a modern audience. From Ludo to Snakes & Ladders, he revived familiar formats and brought them into the digital age, fusing nostalgia with innovation.

His work integrates frontier technologies like AI-based anti-cheat systems and blockchain to promote fair play and transparency - principles that are core to Zupee's rapid ascent and reputation.

The Storyboard18 Digital Entertainment Summit will not only bring together government officials and policy thinkers, but also industry stalwarts, gaming innovators, and content creators. As India moves from being the world's largest consumer of digital content to one of its most influential creators, forums like DES are central to shaping policy, strategy, and collaboration.

READ MORE: DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT SUMMIT

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