India to have 30 crore additional OTT users: Anurag Thakur
New Delhi: The Union Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur invited foreign producers to shoot films in India and said that the Indian market is set to grow with 30 crore additional OTT users.
Speaking at the India Forum in Cannes, Thakur said, “We are poised to take another leap as 300 million (30 crore) citizens are set to connect online as India marches ahead in cementing its space in the media and entertainment sector.”
According to Thakur, Indian startups in the media and entertainment sector will showcase their technological prowess and pitch to the best in the animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC) industry.
He said that the government envisioned major initiatives to boost co-productions, film shoots and film facilitations in India over the last eight years. The government will also take measures to speed co-production from around the world.
The minister said that Indian states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have formulated their own film facilitation policies and provided co-production opportunities that are aimed at boosting Indian media and entertainment ecosystem that is expected to generate $53 billion annually by 2025.
“The government of India has officially designated audiovisual services as one of the 12 champion service sectors and recently set up an AVGC task force comprising industry leaders to prepare a policy roadmap for India to take a quantum leap in this sector and position us as the preferred post-production hub of the world,” he added.
The I&B minister had led the Indian delegation to the Cannes Film Festival 2022.
(Avya Mathur)
