Artificial intelligence could significantly expand India’s footprint in the $3-trillion global media and entertainment market, potentially lifting its share from under 2% to 5%, according to media veteran Uday Shankar. Speaking at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, Shankar described AI as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reposition India as a global creative powerhouse.
Drawing on over three decades of experience, Shankar reflected on how successive technological shifts-from early newsroom digitization to launching India’s first digital news platform at Aaj Tak-reshaped audience engagement and scale. He believes AI represents an even more profound transformation.
India’s media sector has grown rapidly, now valued at over $30 billion, with more than 900 television channels and hundreds of millions of digital consumers. Yet, despite its size, India has struggled to become a dominant exporter of global content. Shankar pointed to stark budget gaps between Indian productions and big-ticket international projects as a structural hurdle limiting global reach.
AI, he argued, can rebalance this equation by lowering production costs, accelerating timelines and enhancing creative scale. He cited JioStar’s large-format series “Mahabharat: Ek Dharmayudh” as an example of how AI-enabled workflows can deliver cinematic depth faster and more efficiently.
Beyond production, AI can personalize content discovery, deepen regional storytelling and unlock smarter monetization models. If leveraged strategically, Shankar believes AI could help India transcend domestic constraints and emerge as a leading force in global entertainment.
