News Broadcasting
Govt. creates a conducive environment to attract foreign investments in M&E sector including visual effects & animation
Mumbai: The government is continuously making efforts to portray India as an ‘incredible destination’ globally for filming. To make it a reality, the centre is focusing on various ways to ease out doing business in India, especially in the film and visual effects & animation sector. The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has offered foreign filmmakers incentives, which will provide an impetus to the Indian media & entertainment sector in future. “Media & entertainment, including visual effects and animation, is one of the fastest growing industries in the country,” the I&B minister Anurag Thakur told the Lok Sabha recently.
To boost the growth of the sector, Thakur further added that the government has set up the Film Facilitation Office (FFO) under the aegis of the National Film Development Corp.(NFDC), for providing a single window facilitation & clearance mechanism to accord online permissions for film shooting in India for both international & domestic filmmakers. In addition to this, NFDC organises “Film Bazaar” at the International Film Festival of India in Goa every year, which is the largest South Asian film market and attracts investors from around the world. The event encourages creative minds to come under one platform and collaborate with South Asian & international film communities.
The minister also emphasized attracting investment from foreign filmmakers and promoting India as a preferred filming destination. The government announced in May two schemes i.e., an incentive scheme for audio-visual co-production and an incentive scheme for the shooting of foreign films in India to increase investment and boost the growth of the M&E industry.
Currently, India has audio-visual co-production treaties with 15 countries, he mentioned and added, “This further enables international producers to invest in Indian projects.” Such collaboration helps in the effective contribution of technical, creative, and artistic personnel of the participant countries. Thakur mentioned that local IP creation and outsourcing work for foreign studios are key drivers of growth in the animation and visual effects industry.
“The contribution of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute and the Film & Television Institute of India via courses on animation and visual effects is providing skilled manpower in the industry,” he told Lok Sabha while answering a query.
He mentioned that the government has also set up a task force earlier to unleash the potential scope of the animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC) industry. The task force will monitor the development of progressive policies, promote growth and recommend incentives for increasing foreign direct investment in the AVGC sector. It will also help in developing world-class creative talent to meet domestic and global demand.
The M&E ecosystem is a sunrise sector and is expected to generate revenue of Rs 4 lakh crore annually by 2025 and reach Rs 7.5 lakh crore (100 billion dollars) by 2030.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Fury in the Gulf conclave on West Asia crisis
Three-hour summit to unpack geopolitical fallout and impact on India
MUMBAI: CNN-News18 is set to host a special three-hour broadcast, Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave, on April 7, aiming to decode the escalating West Asia crisis and its far-reaching implications for India.
Scheduled from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM, the conclave comes at a time when tensions between Iran and the United States are reshaping global geopolitics and triggering economic uncertainty. With India’s deep energy ties, trade links and large diaspora in the Gulf, the developments carry significant domestic relevance.
Built around the theme ‘Conflict, Consequences, and The Future,’ the programme will feature six curated sessions combining one-on-one interviews and panel discussions. The focus is to cut through the clutter and offer viewers a clearer understanding of the fast-evolving situation.
Key sessions include ‘Diplomacy in Times of War’ featuring Shashi Tharoor, and ‘World After the Iran Conflict’ with voices such as Ram Madhav, Reuven Azar, representatives from the European Union and the Iranian Deputy Envoy. Another session titled ‘Another Dunkirk?’ will bring together K. J. S. Dhillon and Jitin Prasada among others.
CNN-News18 editorial affairs director Rahul Shivshankar said, “In times of war, clarity becomes the most powerful tool. Fury in the Gulf – War Conclave brings together credible voices to address the questions and confusion that arise amid an overwhelming influx of information.”
He added that the initiative is aimed at delivering “facts, perspective, and insight” at a time when misinformation can easily cloud public understanding.
Echoing the sentiment, CNN-News18 CEO– English and business news Smriti Mehra said the conflict marks a defining global moment, with consequences that extend well beyond the region. She noted that the conclave seeks to present the crisis with “depth, nuance and responsibility” so audiences can better grasp its real-world impact.
As geopolitical tensions continue to dominate headlines, the conclave positions itself as an attempt to bring order to the noise, offering viewers a structured, insight-led look at a complex and rapidly shifting global situation.
