Navigating Creative Tides: Insights from India on Kazakhstan's Undiscovered Energy Potential
Rewritten Article:
Hanging out in Mumbai during the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) was like taking a front-row seat at a grand spectacle, wherein dreams were spun and stories unfolded. This bustling city, pulsating with life, isn't merely a place; it's a living, breathing rhythm that doesn't just welcome visitors, but alive with their spirit.
As I wandered through the summit hallways, I found myself face-to-face with India's cinematic titans - Shah Rukh Khan and Mithun Chakraborty. More than just renowned actors, they are feelings architects, their movies etching memories on millions – including mine – long before I held a microphone or passport.
But it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's opening words that left me spellbound: "Screen size may shrink, but the scope grows infinite." In our streaming era, the power to touch hearts and minds has never been more accessible – nor more potent.
Encouraging the world's creators to "dream big and tell your story," Modi urged investors to invest in people rather than platforms. Creativity, he asserted, isn't luxury; it's power. With its rich cultural heritage and fearless narratives, India is pouring resources into its creative sectors, aiming to expand its 1% GDP contribution (compared to 3.1% globally) to $50 billion by 2029.
As I stood amidst India's creative symphony, I pondered: How about Kazakhstan? Like India, we're a nation brimming with stories, artists, and visionaries. But our creative sector remains largely untapped – a sleeping giant waiting to awaken.
Global creative services exports surged to a stunning $1.4 trillion in 2022, a 29% increase since 2017. Meanwhile, creative goods reached $713 billion, up a robust 19%. This trend isn't a mere economic fluctuation; it's the future.
Recognizing this potential, Kazakhstan is taking its first steps under the spotlight, focusing on institutional support, sector prioritization, capacity building, and strategically attracting investment. Our plans for growth include:
- Institutional Frameworks: Initiatives like the Creative Industries Fund and leveraging infrastructure like Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) to cater to digital advertising, gaming, and media startups.
- Sector Prioritization: Emphasizing digital advertising, gaming, film, and music industries, while incorporating our rich cultural heritage to boost exports in traditional arts.
- Capacity Building: Training entrepreneurs in intellectual property, business models, and hub management, and studying successful models like ololo Group's in Kyrgyzstan.
- Investment Strategies: Seeking sustainable finance tools to draw patient capital for creative ecosystems, and collaborating with industry bodies and policymakers to streamline regulations.
While Kazakhstan hasn't declared a specific GDP goal like India, its focus on digital acceleration and institutional reform positions it for significant growth in Central Asia's creative economy.
As I watched a performance that weaved tales of Indian civilization, I marveled at a nation that embraces its complexities, finding strength in celebration. We Kazakhs must cultivate a similar audacity at home – believing in our imagination’s value, supporting our filmmakers, musicians, animators, designers, and digital creators, and empowering our young people to envision their creativity as a profession and a contribution to our nation's progress.
India's message was clear: Tell your story, and the world will listen. Invest in creativity, and reap the rewards of peace, identity, and shared humanity. Here's to bringing that wave back to Kazakhstan – a wave we'll ride together. Let's create!
- Rukh, captivated by the grand spectacle at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit in Mumbai, contemplated the untapped potential of Kazakhstan's cinema and entertainment sector, just like India's global success story.
- Outlooking the future of Kazakhstan's creative industries, Rukh admired India's outlook on creativity as power rather than a luxury, drawing inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words about the infinite scope of storytelling in a streaming era.
- In footnotes of personal growth and education-and-self-development, Rukh imagined the impact of nurturing Kazakhstan's personal growth by fostering a supportive environment for artists, similar to India's focus on expanding its creative sectors to $50 billion by 2029.
- Moved by India's rich cultural heritage woven into their movies and TV shows, Rukh envisioned integrating Kazakhstan's tradition and vibrant arts into the digital advertising, gaming, film, and music industries, aiming to contribute to movies-and-tv growth in Central Asia.
