Lights, Camera, Action-Folk To Get Insurance Cover

An insurance cover has been designed for the first time to meet the needs of the television fraternity which is prone to being involved in accidents and injuries.

The Indian Television Academy (ITA) has tied up with Oriental Insurance Company to offer its members personal accident insurance up to Rs 5 lakh.

The monetary benefits have been designed keeping in mind the profile of those working in the TV industry and earning daily wages.

Under the tailor-made plan designed by Oriental Insurance, TV crew -- technicians, actors, and stuntmen and women who meet with an accident will be reimbursed medical bills up to 25 per cent during hospitalisation.

 

If the member is still unable to resume work, the insurance company will pay up to Rs 1,500 per week for a period of 104 weeks.

ITA is the first organisation of its kind in the country set up with the sole aim to promote, aid, help, encourage and develop the Indian television industry. Membership to the academy attracts an annual fee of Rs 1,825, and this includes the insurance cover to its members.

"The idea of developing this insurance scheme within the membership fee is that till date there has been no risk cover specially designed for the television fraternity. There have been so many accidents and no benefits of insurance," said Anu Ranjan, president, ITA.

The premium has yet to be finalised as this will depend upon the number of members in the group insurance scheme.

The annual membership fee includes the premium for the insurance cover, automatic registration with the ITA yellow pages, two dedicated web pages, inter-accessibility to various producers and TV channels and free entry to workshops and seminars organised by the academy.

The academy is looking at a minimum of 5,000 members, said Tushar Thakkar at Peraj Private Ltd, an insurance and risk management consultant. Peraj Private was instrumental in negotiating competitive rates for ITA, having invited proposals from various insurance companies both state-owned and private players.

The ITA is a platform for the television fraternity of producers, directors, writers, actors, technicians -- and those associated with the television industry.

The academy will integrate their creative talent and endeavour to deploy energies for setting new trends evolving new technologies and adding more facets to the art and craft of TV and allied industries.

Aside from looking after its members, ITA will also undertake and carry on experimental and research work of all kinds, which may benefit the industry, said Shashi Ranjan, the spokesperson for ITA. The academy will also organise awards for excellence in the field of television, hold television festivals in the country and abroad, provide information on matters affecting the production, exhibition and distribution of TV serials in India and overseas, he added.