Hindi
Indian and American business houses need to rise above minor disagreements
NEW DELHI: ‘The Girl Rising Project,’ an innovative partnership between the industry and Hollywood to work on empowerment of women and education of the girl child, has been presented the Social Citizenship award at the 15th edition of the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum at Tampa Bay in Florida.
Infosys chairman N R Narayanmurthy has been honoured for lifetime achievement and Bharat Desai, chairman of Syntel – the American Information Technology major and the richest Indian American in United States – was feted for Business Achievement at the function.
FICCI also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tampa Bay Trade & Protocol Council to enhance the business connectivity with the region. Over 30 per cent of the merchandise trade between United States and India is routed through the Port of Tampa. The region can become significantly important for India not only as an access point for Southern United States but also can act as a gateway for Latin America.
The two-day business meet was held on 24 and 25 April to coincide with the Indian International Film Academy awards weekend. Political and business luminaries of Florida were present at the event on US-India Partnership: A Catalyst of Economic Growth.
The film and entertainment industry in India was represented by media personalities like Shabana Azmi, Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, Ramesh Sippy, and Rakesh Omprakash Mehra.
FICCI vice-president Harshavardhan Neotia who led a 20 member CEO’s delegation to Tampa Florida, urged business leaders from both sides to look at opportunities beyond infrastructure and IT, driven by genuine interest in each other’s economy. In the backdrop of the Indian elections and a new Indian government by June, there is a keen anticipation to take forward the Indo-US strategic partnership, which seems to be somehow gone to a zone of discomfort, he stated.
The Florida and Tampa Bay politicos – Mayor Bob Buckhorn and commissioner Al Higginbotham – and Florida attorney general Pam Bondi echoed similar sentiments.
Diane Farrell, the acting president of USIBC, was quick to list out various opportunities that India and US can and are exploring. India’s CG Atlanta Ajit Kumar specifically emphasised that the India US friendship should not be affected by small disagreements.
The Global Leadership Award is one of the highlights of the FICCI-IIFA Global Business Forum and is conferred on individuals or organisations that have championed success stories and made a difference to business or society across the world.
The business event discussed most of the compelling issues in the US-India Commerce, which include issues related to energy partnership and resource efficiency, collaboration in media & entertainment, life sciences, education and skills, and also areas of discomfort as movement of skilled labour which ails the Indian IT industry.
FICCI secretary general A Didar Singh said both Indian and American industry needs to look beyond the temporary irritants and continue to gain from each other’s strengths through business to business and people to people connects. He said that we now need to look beyond traditional cooperation in infrastructure and IT and highlighted three more sectors such as defence, skills development and higher education and energy, going forward.
Others who spoke included Narayanmurthy, TERI chairman R K Pachauri, , L&T Infotech CEO Mukesh Aghi, University of Hosuton president Renu Khator, University of South Florida president Judy Genschaft and many more.
Hindi
MIFF 2026 to return to Mumbai; film entries open till April 12
19th edition to host WAVES Doc Bazaar, spotlighting global documentary talent
MUMBAI: The 19th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival 2026 is set to take place from June 15 to 21 at the NFDC Complex, with film submissions currently open and the deadline fast approaching on April 12.
Organised by the National Film Development Corporation under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the biennial festival remains one of South Asia’s most prominent platforms for documentary, short fiction and animation films.
Filmmakers, producers and content creators from across the globe have been invited to submit entries via the Film Freeway platform for the Competition Section. Offline submissions will not be accepted, reinforcing a fully digital entry process.
MIFF 2026 continues to sweeten the deal with a robust awards pool of Rs 55 lakh. The coveted Golden Conch for Best Documentary carries a top prize of Rs 10 lakh, alongside multiple awards across categories, making it one of the most lucrative non-feature film festivals in the region.
A key highlight this year will be the second edition of the WAVES Doc Bazaar, scheduled from June 16 to 18 alongside the festival. Designed as a hub for collaboration, the Doc Bazaar will feature a co-production market, viewing rooms and a work-in-progress lab, bringing together global buyers, sellers and creators under one roof.
Since its inception in 1990, MIFF has built a reputation as a serious showcase for non-feature cinema, drawing participation from filmmakers worldwide. The previous edition saw over 350 films from more than 30 countries, underlining its growing international footprint.
With submissions closing soon and preparations underway, MIFF 2026 is shaping up to be a vibrant meeting point for storytelling, collaboration and cinematic craft, offering filmmakers both a stage and a springboard.
