Ficci suggests road map to boost M&E sector to I&B Minister

Aiming to boost the country's media and entertainment industry, Ficci today presented a road map comprising recommendations for television, film, print and radio sectors to Information & Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar here.
"We are confident that the implementation of these recommendations will provide a much-needed boost to the media and entertainment sector, which has tremendous potential for dynamic growth and multiplier effect on employment generation without much spending from the public exchequer," Ficci President Sidharth Birla said.
For the film industry, the policy road map calls for enactment of the Cinematograph bill, constitution of a task force for improving screen density in India and ensuring that entertainment tax is fully subsumed in the Goods and Services Tax without creating a window for its levy at the local level.

For the broadcast television sector, it suggests smooth and orderly implementation of Digitisation in the cable sector; liberalising foreign direct investment (FDI) limits in news broadcasting and infrastructure status to cable sector.
To boost the radio sector, Ficci has urged the government to ensure that the process of auctions under Phase-2 rolls out smoothly, without any further delays. The auctions should be completed by September-October 2014 and that Phase-3 licenses which expire from April 2015 are extended well before the end-date.
Further, with respect to reduction in channel separation, it said the government must immediately accept Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI's) recommendations on this subject, so that an FM revolution can be brought about.

More number of radio stations will also mean more job creation, and a much wider programming variety for the people of each city. The chamber has also called for allowing news in an unrestrained manner and raising FDI in FM radio to 49 per cent from 26 per cent at present.

For the print media, the industry chamber has called for abolition of the Wage Board Act and exhorted the government to urgently announce fiscal relief measures for newspapers.
For the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming & Comics (AVGC) sector, it has recommended creation of an investment fund; incubation and market development fund; tax relief; skills and talent development; Co-production treaties and focus on kids' channel in terrestrial broadcasting space.

Besides, Ficci hailed Javadekar on his announcement regarding the launch of a dedicated channel for kids' and animation content on the national broadcaster Doordarshan.
"Given the vast and intensive reach of Doordarshan across the country, this initiative will - by popularising kids' and animation content - create a demand for original intellectual properties in the sector provide an enormous boost to its growth," it said.