Mumbai: India aims to be the content sub-continent of the world, the minister of information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur said on Monday, the concluding day of his three-day visit to Expo 2020 in Dubai. The union minister was there to hold a conversation with actor Ranveer Singh on 'The Global Reach of Indian Media & Entertainment Industry" at the India pavilion.
During the discussion, the minister acknowledged the contribution of films in India’s soft power project. "India is a land of storytelling and the film industry has left a great impact on people of foreign countries who identify India for its films," he said, adding that, "This can generate millions of jobs in India and create content for the whole world.”
The India Pavilion at the Dubai Expo pulled 1.7 million visitors and Thakur observed that Indian people in Dubai are the real ambassadors of India.
He also admired Ranveer Singh’s acting, recalling his performances from various films.
“Indian content is on the cusp of making its presence felt on the world stage,” said Singh. “Indian entertainment is going to explode globally. Our stories resonate with people and transcend cultural boundaries and Indians abroad connect with India through films.”
Earlier during the day, the I&B minister held a discussion with Dubai Corp for Tourism and Commerce Marketing CEO Issam Kazim on various strategies adopted by Dubai in respect of the tourism sector to make it a preferred tourism destination for the world.
During the meeting the minister commended Dubai for organising the Expo which has been a great success despite the pandemic. Highlighting the importance of Dubai on the tourism map of the world, he remarked that Indians have preferred to fly to Dubai over western capitals like London during these pandemic years.
Kazim mentioned that Dubai’s success has been possible owing to the decisive leadership with a focused target. He talked about Dubai authority’s strategy during Covid-19 when the city was shut down in March 2020. The authorities adopted a completely new strategy and ensured restrictions and protocols. Vaccinations and PCR tests were made mandatory for travellers and that Dubai was the first city to open up for tourists.
“Dubai is targeting to get 25 million tourists by 2025 and become the world’s most visited city,” said Kazim. “The city focuses on aspects like marketing Dubai so that people feel comfortable to come, making it easier to set up businesses, promoting Dubai as the best city to live in, promoting FDI, inviting tech companies, improving connectivity through Emirate airlines and infrastructure development.” He also mentioned that Dubai is also exploring the crypto currency space, although it is risky and unregulated for now.
Kazim highlighted that India has great potential in tourism. “India can utilise the unique aspects of key cities/states and focus on their strengths,” he said. “Also, India’s IT talent benefits the global industry which can be promoted as strength.”
Thakur invited Kazim to visit India to further discuss collaboration opportunities in the tourism and media and entertainment sector.
