MAM
Future Generali India Insurance celebrates Pride Month with creative zeal
Mumbai: Reinforcing its stance as a strong ally to the LGBTQIA+ community, Future Generali India Insurance Company Ltd (FGII), has taken the PRIDE celebrations a notch higher this year by throwing the doors open to all allies of the community. The company, which has been organising PRIDE celebrations across its offices in India for the past two years, has moved beyond its workplace and has tied up with the renowned theatre group Tamaasha for the exclusive screening of “Be-loved” – a play on and by the people from the community.
In line with its strategic vision of embedding DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) into its culture, not only as an inclusive insurer and employer but also as an inclusive corporate citizen, FGII has partnered with Humsafar Trust for providing education and skill-building support to LGBTQIA+ individuals in Mumbai, Maharashtra. It has handed over a cheque of Rs 17 lakh to Humsafar Trust to provide support with English-speaking courses, training in computers etc for individuals from within the community to enhance their employability.
Since the last two years, FGII has been celebrating PRIDE month in support to the community with a series of events, workshops and PRIDE parade at its offices across India. This has helped FGII in sensitising employees and generate awareness regarding LGBTQIA+ issues with a view towards normalising the conversation at the workplace and providing a conducive environment for colleagues from the community.
Screened at the Royal Opera House in Mumbai, the production – “Be-Loved,” explored queer love and companionship through theatre, music, poetry, and movement and delved into desi stories of love, connection, and family, showcasing the rich cultural contributions of the LGBTQIA+ community. Some of the noteworthy guests who attended the event included Shreegauri Sawant, a transgender activist; Trinetra Haldar, actor and Karnataka’s first transgender doctor and Bani J, Indian VJ and actress, among others.
Speaking about the pride event, Future Generali India Insurance Company Ltd. MD & CEO Anup Rau said, “This year, by taking pride beyond our offices, we aimed to reach a larger audience for education and sensitization. We think it’s great to showcase performances and queer stories, enacted by queer individuals, with most of the crew from the community. It’s a celebration more than anything else! The response to the show has been phenomenal and we will continue with our efforts to drive acceptance and belonging for the community.”
“At Future Generali, we are driven by our commitment to LGBTQIA+ rights as an inclusive employer, insurer, and corporate citizen. We’ve revolutionized our workplace culture and led the industry by being the first in India to include LGBTQIA+ and same-sex partners in our retail health insurance products. Our partnership with Humsafar Trust takes this further, providing crucial education and skill-building support to LGBTQIA+ individuals in Mumbai. Together, we’re forging a path towards a more inclusive and empowered future,” Rau added.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
