MAM
Retail industry implores govt for respite from COVID-19 impact on biz
NEW DELHI: Various state governments have ordered complete shut-down of shopping centres, malls, multiplexes/cinema halls etc. until 31 March 2020, in major metros like Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, Gurugram and others following suit to arrest the spread of coronavirus.
Welcoming the move, Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) founder-chairman Amitabh Taneja says that shoppers are obviously extremely cautious so is the shopping centre industry. “The fact that fears itself is contagious becomes a very tricky situation for all. The utmost priority is the safety of people,” he says.
About the measures undertaken by the industry, he says, "Today most of our malls are equipped to handle emergency situations and go through end number of audits and checks. Our members are personally making rounds of operational malls driving special sanitisation and cleanliness programs and ensure that we set benchmarks and assure all stakeholders of our commitment to fight the challenge in hand. We hope that the situation stabilises and normalcy is restored at the soonest."
Talking about the uncertainty about the extent of the closure, Taneja says that there is a possibility of further extension, as the exact time frame for controlling this pandemic can’t be defined. Nearly around 700 to a 1000 malls across India may be asked to close down till further notice.
“The impact of the shut-down of the shopping centres across various cities has been beyond comprehension,” says a mall official. “Monetary losses would, of course, be huge. Sales are already down anywhere between 25 to 50 per cent for retailers. Fashion is seasonal so spring merchandise will suffer badly. Cinema, entertainment and restaurant businesses are already bleeding. Rumours, lack of clarity and awareness and fear of uncertainties add to the shoppers' confusion,” he adds.
The cash flow is the biggest challenge for malls as the only source of income of these centres, feel industry experts. The rental income has come down to zero since the closure of malls. With expenses remaining constant, their debt serving and interest payment obligations remain. Unlike all other businesses, they do not have any goods or merchandise to sell or reduce inventory holding or other such measures, which other industries can take. Their collections have completely dried up during this period, while they continue to bear a high fixed cost towards personnel, utilities and ongoing routine expenses.
Commenting on the operational centres, Nexus malls CEO Dalip Sehgal says, “Pursuant to the enforcement of stringent measures, which is the need of the hour, shopping centers and housing occupants from industries like hospitality, retail, tourism etc. are worst affected due to lock-down. Scarce footfalls are resulting in lower sales but overheads have increased for deploying specially trained personnel, extensive sanitisation, increased customer frisking etc. This has resulted in a huge pressure on the viability of shopping centres due to delay in collection of license fees /rents from the retailers/ outlets. To add to the woes, the current situation has also adversely impacted the employment and the livelihood of the employees (direct and indirect – approximately 3500 to 5000 at each establishment/mall) at every level."
Thus, overall working capital cycle has been adversely impacted and hence, in order to sustain the mall business and the employment of the individuals as stated above during these unprecedented and testing times, the Shopping Centres of India (SCAI) on behalf of its members and also non-member malls has already made representation regarding the finance, regulatory and other major issues faced to the prime minister, finance minister and the governor and executive director of RBI.
The association has also sought appointments for personal meetings with concerned authorities to discuss following measures to help shopping centres sail through this challenging phase:
• Allow a moratorium period during continuation of pandemic, in repayment of bank loans, interest, EMI, etc. without levy of any penalties including penal interest. Further, one-time loan restructuring with lower rates of interest may be permitted for shopping centres.
• Provide short-term financing option for a period of 6 to 12 months, at lower interest rates to meet the increased working capital requirements.
• Grant GST rebates to offset the losses on account of and for the period of closure of business and/or in the alternative permit flexibility in deposit of Goods and Services Tax (GST) since GST needs to be deposited immediately upon raising of invoice, however, corresponding payments are likely to be delayed, resulting in an additional cash flow burden on shopping centres.
• Provide relief so that credit rating of shopping centres is not adversely affected due to delays in repayment of bank loans, interest, EMI, etc.
• Issue appropriate directions to the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) to include insurance against loss of profits on account of epidemic – which is not currently included in the policies.
• Any other relief which may be deemed fit in the present scenario.
“The implementation of these measures can immensely help the shopping centres and industries referred hereinabove, which are already stressed due to the prevailing financial conditions, in mitigating the effects of this unforeseen and presently untreatable pandemic. Once the country is free from the virus malls that have emerged as the most vibrant social spaces for Indians to celebrate their leisure time will play a critical role to bring back life and uplift sentiments of the masses. Hence, it is all the more important to ensure that necessary support is provided to the shopping centre industry to cope up with the challenge and be ready to welcome visitors once the restrictions are lifted,” concludes Taneja.
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.
