 "Why is 'creator economy' called 'orange economy' and why India's betting big on it")
While addressing the WAVES 2025 summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (May 1) hailed the rise of India’s “Orange Economy”. This term refers to economic activities encompassing the creative sectors of music, films, food, gaming, and animation.
What is Orange Economy?
The Orange Economy, or creative economy, refers to industries that rely on individual creativity, skill, and talent. These include sectors like music, film, design, fashion, publishing, arts, advertising, and software development.
As defined by the United Nations Economic Network, this economy blends cultural, economic, and social elements. It also connects with other sectors like technology, tourism, and intellectual property. The Orange Economy is largely based on ideas and knowledge. It has the potential to fuel growth, generate jobs, and promote innovation—especially in developing countries—while preserving cultural heritage and identity.
Why is ‘creator economy’ called ‘orange economy’?
The term “orange economy” was first coined by former Colombian former President Iván Duque Márquez and former culture minister Felipe Buitrago, a colour which resonates across cultures in creative, religious and cultural spheres.
“When you think about activities such as audiovisual, filmmaking, television, video games, music in all its forms as well as crafts, visual arts, theater and also, activities like design, fashion, and increasingly other digital expressions of communication, you are talking about something that represents us, our identity in various forms,” says Buitrago.
“Those creative expressions live together in a very rich ecosystem where you have creators, you have dreamers, but you also have doers, entrepreneurs and policymakers, and that’s a very powerful sector of the economy,” he adds.
India bets big on Orange Economy
PM Modi Thursday said India was emerging as a global hub of music, film and gaming.
“With the orange economy booming, India’s graphic and animation industry will face tremendous growth and bring economic prosperity for the nation" the PM said.
He added that the creative economy was poised to increase its contribution to India’s GDP.
“Today, India is emerging as a global hub for film production, digital content, gaming, fashion, music and live concerts…This is the dawn of the Orange Economy in India," he added.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsBillionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, projected that India’s media and entertainment industries could grow more than threefold to over USD 100 billion within the next decade.
“India’s media and entertainment industry is today valued at USD 28 billion. It can grow to over USD 100 billion in the next decade. This growth will drive entrepreneurship, generate millions of jobs, and create a ripple effect across sectors,” Mukesh Ambani said while speaking at the inaugural session of the WAVES 2025 conference.
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