'My aim is to make India global hub of content creation': Anurag Thakur

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said his aim is to make India a hub of content creation which can generate "millions of jobs" in the country and also cater to global demand.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday said his aim is to make India a hub of content creation which can generate "millions of jobs" in the country and also cater to global demand.

During a conversation with Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh on the third day of his visit to Dubai, Thakur acknowledged the contribution of films in India's soft power projection and said the Indian film industry has left "a great impact" on the people of other countries.

"India is a land of storytelling...India should be the hub. And, I personally feel, my aim in the next few years is that India should be the content sub-continent of the world," he said during the conversation on 'The Global Reach of Indian Media and Entertainment Industry' at the India Pavilion at the Dubai Expo.

To achieve the goal, he said, his ministry and the film industry will have to work as a team.

"I have to facilitate the film industry so that they achieve it. And, they can do it though their performance and the talent pool that we have in the industry," Thakur said.

"We can get great business into India to create millions of jobs and at the same time put indian content across the globe," he added.

Ranveer Singh said Indian content is on the cusp of making its presence felt on the world stage.

"Our stories resonate with people and transcend cultural boundaries and Indians abroad connect with India through films...Indian entertainment is going to explode globally," the information and broadcasting ministry in a statement quoted Singh as saying

Thakur noted that the India Pavilion at the Expo has been "a huge crowd puller" with 1.7 million visitors, and said that "Indians in Dubai are the real brand ambassadors of India".

Earlier during the day, the ministry said, Thakur held an discussion with the CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Issam Kazim, "on various strategies" adopted it with respect to tourism.

During the meeting the I&B minister commended Dubai for organising the Expo "which has been a great success despite the Covid pandemic", the ministry said.

"Highlighting the importance of Dubai on the tourism map of the world, the minster remarked that Indians have preferred to fly to Dubai over western capitals like London during these pandemic years," the ministry said.

Kazim noted that Dubai's success has been possible owing to "the decisive leadership with a focused target", it said.

"He talked about Dubai Authority's strategy during Covid 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," the ministry added.

Kazim also mentioned that Dubai is targeting to get 25 million tourists by 2025 and become the world's most visited city.

"He (Kazim) also mentioned that Dubai is also exploring the crypto currency space, although it is risky and unregulated for now," the ministry said.

"Kazim underlined that India has great potential in tourism. India can utilise the unique aspects of key cities/states and focus on their strengths. Also, India's IT talent benefits the global industry which can be promoted as strength," it said.

Thakur extended a warm invitation to Kazim to India to discuss further on collaboration opportunities in tourism and media and entertainment sector, the ministry added.