Global digital platforms must respect cultures and local laws, says Vaishnaw

Global content-making platforms must be aware of the cultural context of the countries in which they operate and work according to the constitutional and legal frameworks there, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday (February 16, 2026).

He was speaking with Charles Rivkin, chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association, at an official satellite event of the AI Impact Summit 2026 titled ‘Rewarding Our Creative Future in the Age of AI – Strengthening India through Innovation, Trust and Talent’.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister said global OTT and digital content platforms must function in accordance with the laws of the host country, rather than that of their parent country.

“In the digital world, there are no physical boundaries. In that scenario, it is very easy for the OTT platforms to forget the cultural context, which is very important. What is normal in one society, may not be normal in another society,” Mr. Vaishnaw told Mr. Rivkin.

The Minister said global platforms such as Motion Picture Association and Netflix must be aware of the “cultural context of the country in which they are operating.”

‘Create in India’

Mr. Vaishnaw said government reskilling, upskilling, and new skilling initiatives will create more opportunities for the global media industry to come and create in India.

“Very soon, we will be launching a ‘Create in India’ mission. Like the semiconductor mission, it will also be very industry-oriented, employment-oriented and future-oriented mission,” he said.

The Minister said the initiative will make sure that India becomes the “most-preferred platform of the world for creating” and make available a “future-ready talent pipeline which keeps that growth we need to have for the next 25 years.”

Mr. Vaishnaw, also India’s IT Minister, highlighted the “natural inclination” of the country’s large population toward digital technologies. He said people in India are “digitally native” and naturally adapt to new technologies.

Talking about the upcoming AI Summit in New Delhi, he said global leadership is gathering in India to deliberate on how to reap the benefits of digital innovation while simultaneously curbing its disadvantages.