The policy text discusses India's evolving role within the global streaming and film economy through an exploration of investments in studio infrastructure, production hubs, technology-driven ecosystems, creative risks balanced with relatable content, and leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) for content creation. The session at Mumbai emphasizes how these elements can facilitate the growth of Indian storytelling across international borders.
Key points highlighted are:
1. **Indian Cinema's Evolution**: Shri Shibasish Sarkar outlines India's rich tradition in storytelling and its progression from early cinema to contemporary streaming platforms, highlighting that streaming has enabled global access for Indian content.
2. **Infracturation Investments**: He advocates a focus on infrastructure improvement including studios, production hubs, and technology ecosystems as essential for supporting the international appeal of Indian content.
3. **Balanced Content Strategies**: Ms. Ektaa R. Kapoor stresses the importance of balanced portfolios that resonate emotionally with audiences worldwide due to universal themes like pain, passion, and hope, urging against risky overexposure in content marketing.
4. **Global Success via AI**: Shalini Govil Pai underscores globalization as a key trend and champions the role of technology, especially AI, in speeding up production processes. The use of AI is seen as pivotal for both Indian creators to stay competitive and innovate.
5. **User Behavior and Content Formats**: Vikram Tanna addresses the need to adapt content formats to accommodate short attention spans and mobile consumption trends by prioritizing voice-driven, opinion-led content that's immersive.
6. **Leveraging Generative AI**: The opportunity brought about by generative AI is highlighted as a potential gamechanger for both creators and platforms in engaging audiences through personalized storytelling.
7. **Future Perspective**: The discussion concludes with the suggestion that India is positioned to become a global content powerhouse with strategic investments, technology utilization, and commitment to authentic storytelling.
The tone is professional and objective, presenting information without speculation beyond what's provided, and it outlines directions for further growth within the Indian media sector.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Information Broadcasting: A governmental body responsible for the control and regulation of information dissemination, including media broadcasting in India.
WAVES: An unspecified program or initiative mentioned to analyze policy documents related to technology, globalization, content production, and streaming.
India: The geographical area discussing its evolving role in the global streaming and film economy.
Global Streaming and Film Economy: The context within which India's involvement is being discussed, emphasizing growth potential and challenges related to content scalability.
Eros Now: An online streaming service mentioned alongside Mzaalo Xfinite Global, showcasing its role in the global media marketplace.
Producers Guild of India: A professional association for film producers in India that plays a significant role in shaping industry directions and growth strategies.
Balaji Telefilms: A company that contributes to content creation through partnership or membership, influencing the global media landscape from India.
Android TV: An operating system developed by Google for smart televisions and other connected platforms used in digital broadcasting and viewing.
Google: A technology company that is involved in discussions about content creation, distribution, and innovation with artificial intelligence (AI).
Shri Shibasish Sarkar: The President of the Producers Guild of India who contributes to strategic directions in Indian entertainment industries.
EKTAAR Kapoer: Joint Managing Director of Balaji Telefilms, noted for her insights on content structuring and relatability in global storytelling.
Vikram Tanna: CEO of Eros Now discussed the shift towards digital-first audience behaviors and strategies required for success in media innovation.
Shalini Govil Pai: Vice President General Manager at Android TV, highlighting technology's role in content creation, scalability, AI usage, and smart navigation.
Rajith Navin Sreejith Lekshmipriya CShekhar 148 Release ID: 2126210: Identified through the footer of the document; potentially referring to contributors or collaborators involved in creating this policy analysis.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
WAVES Explores India’s Evolving Role in the Global
Streaming and Film Economy
“For content to truly travel across borders, India must
invest in studio infrastructure, production hubs, and
technology-driven ecosystems”, says Shibasish
Sarkar
While taking creative risks is essential, content
portfolios must be balanced and structured: Ektaa
Kapoor
Posted On: 02 MAY 2025 5:29PM by PIB Mumbai
Mumbai | May 2, 2025
The breakout session on “India’s Evolving Role in the Global Film and Streaming
Economy” held at Mumbai today brought together key voices shaping the future of
media and content, including Shri Vikram Tanna, CEO, Eros Now and Mzaalo (Xfinite
Global); Shri Shibasish Sarkar, President, Producers Guild of India; Smt. Ektaa R.
Kapoor, Joint Managing Director, Balaji Telefilms; and Ms. Shalini Govil Pai, Vice
President & General Manager, Android TV, Google.
Highlighting India’s deep-rooted tradition of storytelling, Shri Shibasish Sarkar spoke
about the evolution of Indian cinema from a century ago to today’s dynamic streaming
platforms. He stated that streaming has enabled Indian stories to find global audiences.
However, for content to truly travel across borders, India must invest in infrastructure
studios, production hubs, and technology-driven ecosystems. He also called for a
focused, pan-India approach to institutional capital support.
Underlining that compelling storytelling lies at the heart of global success, Ms. Ektaa R.
Kapoor emphasised that the more relatable and emotionally resonant a story is, the
more likely it is to connect with international audiences. She said that emotions such as
pain, passion, and hope are universal. She noted that while taking creative risks is
essential, content portfolios must be balanced and structured to de-risk investments and
ensure long-term viability in a competitive ecosystem.Ms. Shalini Govil Pai stated that globalization is the most transformative trend in content
today. She pointed out that technology has broken distribution barriers and made it
easier to scale stories globally. Artificial Intelligence (AI), she added, is reshaping
content creation by making production faster, more efficient, and data-driven. She urged
Indian creators to leapfrog traditional methods and lead in the use of AI and technology
to deliver stories that resonate across geographies. She noted that content discovery is
becoming crucial, and the next wave of success will hinge on smart navigation,
discoverability, and tech-led storytelling.
Observing that India’s digital-first audience behaviour requires a shift in storytelling
formats, Shri Vikram Tanna said that with shorter attention spans and increased mobile
consumption, content must evolve to be voice-driven, opinion-led, and immersive. He
outlined three key drivers for success: redefining technology, crafting experience-led
narratives, and building IPs that command loyal fandom. He identified Generative AI as a
game-changing opportunity for creators and platforms alike, offering new ways to
engage, monetise, and personalise storytelling.
The session concluded with a vision that India is well-positioned to become a global
content powerhouse. With strategic investment in infrastructure, bold use of technology,
and a commitment to authentic storytelling, India can lead the next phase of global
media innovation.
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PIB TEAM WAVES 2025 Rajith/Navin Sreejith/Lekshmipriya/Cshekhar |148
(Release ID: 2126210)