News Headline
Content, Commerce & Community – The Future of Indian Media & Entertainment
Mumbai: A very good morning, to the respected dignitaries here today, both physically and digitally…
Shri Piyush Goyal, Hon’ble Minister of Textile, Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Govt. of India
Shri Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India
Mr Subhrakant Panda, President, FICCI and MD, Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd.
Mr Shailesh K Pathak, Secretary General, FICCI
And to our own Ayushmann Khurana and very good morning to everyone here in the audience.
It is an honour and pleasure to be here today, looking into the future of a powerful and dynamic industry. These are exciting times for content, commerce, and community, which are the perennial pillars of the media and entertainment industry, growing exponentially fuelled by technological innovation. India is proudly leading the charge, taking our mantra of Make in India and showing it to the world.
The rich and diverse history of our stories has evolved over the last 90 years from Alam Ara – the first Indian talkie to now the Elephant Whisperers – a story from our nation’s heartlands making waves internationally. Quite literally the world dances to the tune of our Naatu Naatu as India’s voice rings proudly in the global entertainment landscape.
In 2015 Jio started a digital revolution to connect everyone and everything, everywhere. This dovetails with Digital India, the flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.
With disruption such as Free digital IPL on Jio Cinema, and an imminent equally disruptive entertainment launch, a digital forward economy has already seen content and data consumption levels reach monumental proportions by global standards. Indians now consume nearly 20GB data per month on an average, No. 1 in the world already, and expected to reach 46 GB by 2027.
The proliferation of Smartphones, Connected TV, advent of 5G and affordable data rates all contribute to the fulfilment of the Digital India dream. Propelled by double digit growth, by 2025 we are set to become an INR2.83 trillion industry. I won’t reveal any more and steal the thunder of the Report launch.
We were told that the Indian content production industry was extremely fragmented, and that we can never scale it. Just last month, Jio Studios unveiled its powerful slate of 100-plus stories of movies and web series across languages, a case study in the Jiofication of the content industry.
It would be my dream to see us smash through these forecasts as we lead the digital forward way to the world – be it through the democratisation of the creator economy or disruption in digital distribution. No one innovates like India. No one can implement it on an unimaginable scale like India.
With that, I would like to thank the entire M&E fraternity for coming together and working as one to realise this vision. I would also like to thank the I&B Ministry for their progressive approach towards policy and regulation. Lastly, the entire FICCI team and our partners who have researched, written and put together this much-awaited report.
Thank you all again for participating in this wonderful 3 days of ideas and knowledge exchange.
– Jyoti Deshpande, CEO – Viacom18
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
