I&B Minister Anurag Thakur delivers keynote address on “India: The content hub of the world” at Cannes Film Festival

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur stressed that India has the ability to become a content sub-continent of the world and a preferred destination for post-production hub of films. He said, the government policies are aimed at boosting India’s media and entertainment ecosystem which is expected to generate 53 billion dollar annually.

Speaking during the India Forum on India-The Content Hub of the World, Mr. Thakur said, Indian cinema has been entertaining not only the Indians but global viewers also. He said, India’s journey has been beautifully captured by the Cinema, and Indian cinema has played a crucial role and portrayed country’s fight for independence. He said, Indian media and entertainment sector is a significant contributor in economy and also showcase country’s soft power at a global level. He said, the government has taken several initiatives in the last eight years to boost co-production and film shoots in the country.

The Minister said, the government has set up the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) task force comprising of the industry leaders to prepare a policy roadmap for India to take up a quantum leap in this sector. He said, steps have been taken to preserve the cinematic heritage of the country through digitization. He said, there is a huge potential lie in the OTT market and the country is expected to grow at 21 percent annually in this sector.

During the panel discussion, Chairperson of Central Board of Film Certification and Veteran Lyricists Prasoon Joshi, Actor and Director R Madhavan, Indian Filmmaker Shekhar Kapoor, Secretary Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Apurva Chandra among others were present.