Anurag Thakur: Last News

India’s Ministry for Information and Broadcasting has announced an increase in the country’s production incentive from a 30% to 40% rebate on qualifying spend, with a cap of $3.6M (Rs300m). 

Naman Ramachandran Amazon India has signed a letter of engagement with the Indian government’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with the objective of growing the country’s creative economy. As part of the collaboration, Amazon and the ministry will help build pathways to promote creative talent in India, create capacity across film and TV institutes and globally showcase Indian-made creative content. Prime Video and miniTV will both work towards providing internships and scholarships to students at the Film and Television Institute of India and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. Additionally, to commemorate the celebrations around the 75th anniversary of Indian independence, iconic content from NFDC, state broadcaster Doordarshan and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be showcased on Prime Video and miniTV. Further, skill-based masterclasses will be organized for the students of various film and TV institutes and 75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow – an annual talent enrichment program under the umbrella of IFFI where 75 young, talented artists, shortlisted by the ministry, will be selected and coached.

Naman Ramachandran Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos revealed a continued investment push in the Indian market on Saturday. In a freewheeling chat with Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Mumbai to promote the latter’s upcoming Netflix series “Heeramandi,” Sarandos was bullish about India, repeating what he said on Friday to local media about the market’s growth. “India is the fastest growing Netflix market in the world this year and because of that, we’re able to continue to invest in great storytelling. And I think when you see ‘Heeramandi,’ you’re gonna see why it has been such the honor of a lifetime to work with Sanjay and to be able to bring this to screen. And you ain’t seen nothing yet,” Sarandos said.

Naman Ramachandran Hindi-language “Maja Ma,” starring Bollywood icon Madhuri Dixit Nene, is the first of many Indian original films from Amazon Prime Video, Aparna Purohit, the head of India originals for the streamer, has revealed. The film is a Prime Video commission, as opposed to an acquisition. “We have been acquiring films, we have been putting films straight on our service and over the last two years, we put almost 60 films out and we also bought into co-productions. Producing our own films was the next logical step,” Purohit told Variety. Next up are films in the Telugu and Tamil languages, with films in Malayalam and Kannada being explored. “We want to tell stories that are truly rooted in our soil, stories that are compelling, that are differentiated, in the hands of very passionate creators – story being the starting point for every decision. That’s the strategy,” said Purohit. “And we want to really delight our audiences spread across the length and breadth of the country.”

Naman Ramachandran The Indian media and entertainment sector, currently valued at $24 billion is expected to grow to $30 billion by 2024, according to the country’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur.“I personally feel with the growth rate we have and I’m sure it’s going to grow more than that. By 2030 we expect it to double and even more,” Thakur told Variety at the Cannes Film Festival.Thakur spoke with Variety on Wednesday at the Cannes India Pavilion after he launched a filming incentive that offers up to 35% reimbursement on local spend to international productions shooting in India.“I think it’s quite lucrative and I expect a lot of people to come and shoot in India, because our major focus is to make India the content hub of the world,” said Thakur.

Naman Ramachandran India’s long awaited location shooting incentive scheme is now a reality. At the Cannes Film Market on Wednesday, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur revealed a 30% reimbursement scheme for international productions shooting in India.The Indian federal government will reimburse up to 30% of qualifying production expenditure to a maximum of INR20 million ($260,000).

Naman Ramachandran As India celebrates 75 years of independence, Netflix and the country’s Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, have partnered to honor real-life stories of extraordinary women through a series of short videos titled “Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan.” The initiative was launched on Tuesday in the presence of Anurag Thakur, India’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting.Bela Bajaria, global head of TV, Netflix, who was also present at the event, said: “Great stories can come from anywhere and are ever so inspiring when they are about people who rise against the odds. In partnership with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, ‘Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan’ focuses on celebrating remarkable individuals and their stories that can inspire people in India and around the world.” Narrated by acclaimed actor Neena Gupta (Badhaai Ho”), the short videos capture the journey of these individuals and how they broke the glass ceiling in their respective fields, ranging from science to sports.