Mumbai/Bhopal, 1 April 2025

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Government of India, in collaboration with Indian Comics Association (ICA) and ASIFA India, has announced the finalists for two prestigious competitions under the WAVES Create in India Challenge—the WAVES Comics Creator Championship and the WAVES Awards of Excellence.

The competitions have attracted participation from across India and internationally, highlighting the country’s potential as a global hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. The winners will be announced at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025), scheduled to be held in Mumbai from May 1-4, 2025.

Additional Director General, PIB, Bhopal, Shri Prashant Pathrabe said that, WAVES is an important event that provides a global platform for professional entrepreneurs, investors, producers and innovators to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute in the entertainment sector.

Photo caption : Shri Prashant Pathrabe, Additional Director General, PIB Bhopal addressing the ceremony of announcement of finalists of Waves Comics Creator Championship and Waves Awards of Excellence

WAVES Comics Creator Championship:

Indian Comics Association (ICA) President Ajitesh Sharma stated that ICA has selected 10 teams for the final round and that the candidates for the final round were selected based on their creative story, artistic skills and overall impact.

Photo caption: Shri Ajitesh Sharma, President, Indian Comics Association addressing the Waves Comics Creator Championship and Waves Awards of Excellence finalists announcement ceremony.

The finalists for the Comics Creator Championship are as follows:

Finalists - Professional Category:

1. Mohit Sharma (Meerut) - Ayush Kumar (Delhi)

2. Aparna Chaurasia (Chhatarpur)

3. Bijoy Raveendran (Delhi) - Tadam Gyadu (Delhi)

4. Puneet Shukla (Gorakhpur) - Piyush Kumar (Ranchi)

5. Tejas Janardhan Kamble (Mumbai)

Finalists - Amateur Category:

1. Suvojit Pal (Howrah) - Vivek Pradhan (Raipur)

2. Vindhyarsh Mishra (Bareilly)

3. Rohit Shukla (Chennai) - Shivangi Shaily (Indore)

4. Ritesh Patra (Kolkata)

5. Randeep Singh (Kendrapara)

Jury Panel for Comics Creator Championship

The five-member jury to evaluate the competition entries included: Dilip Kadam – Renowned comic artist and illustrator; Nikhil Pran – Acclaimed comic creator and son of Pran Kumar Sharma; Jajil Homaveer – Creator of the web manga The Beast Legion; Sanjay Gupta – Founder of Raj Comics; Preeti Vyas – President & CEO of Amar Chitra Katha. The jury panel will now select the winners by evaluating the Semi-Finalists' entries. The selected 10 Finalists will then compete at the Mumbai Waves Event from 1-4 May 2025.The final competition will take place at WAVES 2025 in Mumbai, where the best talents in Indian comics will be recognized on an international stage.

ASIFA announces Waves’ Awards of Excellence

The WAVES Awards of Excellence, organized by ASIFA (Association Internationale du Film d'Animation) India under the Create in India Challenge, has received 1,331 entries from 28 Indian states and 13 countries.

Shri Sanjay Khimesara, President, ASIFA India addressing the Waves Comics Creator Championship and Waves Awards of Excellence finalists announcement ceremony.

Jury for WAVES Awards of Excellence

The evaluation process for the WAVES Awards of Excellence was led by an esteemed five-member international jury, ensuring global standards in selection: Dr. Anastasia Dimitra (Greece) – VP, ASIFA International & Animation Educator; Briana Yarhouse (USA) – Director, Awards of Excellence & Professor; Pramita Mukherjee (USA) – Sr. Creature FX Developer, DreamWorks; Dhimant Vyas (India) – Professor of Practice, IDC School of Design; B.N. Vichar (India) – Art Director, Technicolor Games

The winning entries will receive mentorship, global exposure, and networking opportunities with industry leaders.

Final Nominations-Professionals

Top 26 Nominated works includes Showreels/Shorts from students from across India including states/UT’s of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal, Chandigarh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat, New Delhi.

Final Nominations- Students

About WAVES

The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), a milestone event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.

Whether you're an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator, the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.

WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).

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