Urging young creators to harness artificial intelligence as a tool for innovation and empowerment, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L. Murugan on Tuesday said the future should be about “AI empowering creators” rather than “AI versus creators”, while calling on them to create with courage, responsibility and purpose.
Addressing the YouTube Impact Summit 2026, themed “Co-Creating Impact: India’s Digital Leadership and the Orange Economy”, in New Delhi, Murugan highlighted the growing contribution of India’s digital and creative economy to economic growth, employment and global cultural outreach. He also underlined the need to ensure that rapid technological advances remain anchored in constitutional values.
Creator economy driving growth and employment
According to the YouTube Impact Report unveiled at the summit, YouTube’s creative ecosystem contributed more than Rs 18,000 crore to India’s GDP in 2025 and supported over 9.6 lakh full-time-equivalent jobs across the country.
Minister Murugan said content created in India receives more than 15 per cent of its watch time from audiences outside the country, while over 18,000 Indian YouTube channels have crossed one million subscribers, reflecting the growing global reach of India’s creator economy, stated a press release from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
From Digital India to Creative India
Highlighting India’s digital transformation through digital payments, digital public infrastructure, startups, artificial intelligence, affordable connectivity and digital education, Murugan called for a shift from consumers to creators, users to innovators and content consumption to intellectual-property creation.
He said digital technology had changed the geography of opportunity by enabling talent from every district, language and community to reach audiences worldwide.
Strengthening the Orange Economy
Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Create in India, Create for the World,” Murugan highlighted content, creativity and culture as the three pillars of the Orange Economy.
He said creativity extends beyond entertainment and can drive employment, businesses, intellectual property, exports and India’s cultural influence globally.
AI to empower, not replace, creators
Murugan said AI can assist creators in writing, translation, editing, animation, composition, design and distribution, while human imagination remains central to the creative process.
He reiterated that AI should empower creators rather than replace them, while stressing the need for accessible, responsible and ethical use of emerging technologies.
The summit also witnessed the unveiling of “Create with AI” films, developed in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT).
Government initiatives to strengthen creative talent
Murugan highlighted initiatives including WAVES, IICT, Create in India Challenges, Gems of India, WAVES Bazaar, MyWAVES and Creator’s Corner to strengthen pathways for identifying, developing and connecting creative talent with markets.
He also highlighted the Union Budget 2026–27 provision for AVGC content-creator laboratories in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges. He said the industry is projected to require nearly 2 million professionals by 2030.
Constitutional values in the digital age
Emphasising that “Technology changes rapidly. Constitutional values endure,” Murugan highlighted the continuing relevance of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity in India’s digital transformation.
Referring to Article 19 and the freedom of speech and expression, subject to reasonable constitutional restrictions, he said the freedom to create must be accompanied by responsibility.
He also highlighted the Fundamental Duties under Article 51A, calling for responsible creation, sharing, verification and innovation in the digital age.
Taking India’s stories to the world
Murugan said India’s cultural heritage can reach new audiences through cinema, music, gaming, animation, digital storytelling, design, crafts and literature.
Addressing young creators, he said their language, culture and stories can be global and urged them to create with confidence in India’s diversity.
He said the future of India’s digital economy would depend on what the country creates with technology, with employment, intellectual property, global opportunities and inclusive growth remaining central to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
The summit highlighted the growing role of India’s digital and creative industries in advancing Viksit Bharat 2047, with the Minister calling for collective efforts to build an inclusive and globally competitive creative ecosystem.
Ms Gunjan Soni, Country Managing Director, YouTube India; Ms Leslie Miller, Vice President, Global Government Affairs and Public Policy, YouTube; and Senthil Rajan, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, were also present.
-PIB Inputs
