MAM
Indians welcome eco globalisation & regional integration – TNS, WEF pan-Asian survey
NEW DELHI: The World Economic Forum’s (WEF) East Asia Economic Summit in Singapore opened last week to the backdrop of a survey carried out in ten Asian countries.
Commissioned by the WEF and conducted by leading global market information company TNS, the findings of the study reveal the views of Asians towards globalisation, economic liberalisation, open borders and Asia’s new generation of leaders.
Whilst more than half of Asians feel positively about the impact of economic globalisation and nearly three quarters want increased cooperation between Asian countries, an overwhelming majority are opposed to a free flow of workers within the region with an open border policy.
Indians reflect a similar outlook towards the impact of economic globalisation, like their other Asian counterparts. At the same time, a majority of respondents pointed to employment as a major concern and called on their next generation of leaders to prioritise job creation.
The survey suggests that Asia’s next generation of leaders have a lot to live up to. In addition to economic reform and development, they will need to focus on ending corruption and introducing more democracy. However, they will not be without support – 40 per cent of respondents said they were willing to pay higher taxes to stimulate faster development both in their own country and in the region.
Proportionally more respondents in India (72.2 per cent) are willing to pay taxes to stimulate faster development in both their own country as well as in other Asian countries. Indians also identified the ‘education system’ as the most necessary area of improvement, which governments should strive for.
The business community was also under the spotlight in the survey. Approximately half of the study’s respondents reported that they trust companies operating in their own countries expressing that corporations acted in the best interests of society – particularly, providing employment, which was perceived by the vast majority (86.2 per cent) as the main role of the corporate sector in society. However, in India, “To be innovative and make advancements” is thought to be the main role of companies in a society, followed closely, by its foremost role “To provide employment.”
Other key findings include:
* Respondents from the Philippines felt, more than any other country, that globalization had negatively affected their lives (28.4%).
* In Hong Kong, with the lowest rate of corporate tax in the region, respondents ranked “pay tax” as the primary function of business in society.
* Proportionally more respondents in India (72.2 per cent) than in Singapore (25.2 per cent) are willing to pay taxes to speed up development in the region.
Commenting on the findings, World Economic Forum Director for Asia Frank-Jürgen Richter said, “The study adds a new dimension to the Summit’s discussions by indicating the relevance of our programme – on regional integration, the challenges of globalisation and the role of business in society.”
TNS Regional Director for North Asia David Richardson added, “We are honoured to be associated with the World Economic Forum and applaud its efforts to explore new angles of cooperation. We hope that the findings from this survey will provide some support to this.”
The World Economic Forum held its 12th East Asia Economic Summit in Singapore from 12 to 14 October. This year 800 participants from 32 countries came together for discussions and decision-making on the Summit’s theme “Asia’ Future: Recapturing Dynamism.”
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.
