I&B Ministry to create single window clearance to shoot films in India

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is planning to create a Film Commission, which will allow foreign studios a single window clearance to shoot films in India.

“So far film-makers had to obtain multiple shooting permits for every location they use, something which deterred them from travelling around and spreading their economic benefits. Now there will be platform to provide single clearance which cut through the bureaucracy,” said Uday Varma, secretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting during Ficci Frames.

Last month, the ministry signed an agreement with Ministry of Tourism to provide support for film tourism.

In the past few years, there has sharp rise in international film-makers shooting films here in order to reach out to a rapidly-growing audience in an emerging economy.

 

The number of requests from foreign crews for shooting films in India shot up from 10 in 2009-10 to 28 in 2010-11.

At last count, 22 films including big-ticket Hollywood productions like the James Bond , Christopher Nolan’ Dark Night Rises (the next Batman movie) , Ang Lee’s 3D fantasy film Life of Pi, Singularity and John Madden’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel hadbeen given permission to shoot here.

According to industry officials, the market size of Hollywood in India is about Rs 850-900 crore, which contributes 10-12 per cent of the overall box-office revenue.