CII seeks national M&E policy to position India as global creative hub

CII has called for a National Media and Entertainment Policy to unify regulations and unlock growth, arguing that India can build a globally competitive creative economy by 2030

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Monday, through its white paper on the media and entertainment industry, urged for the industry-wide adoption of an integrated policy action framework to transform India into a globally competitive creative economy hub by 2030, driving the sector towards over $100 billion in GDP contribution and creating more than five million jobs.

 

Why does CII want a National Media and Entertainment Policy?

 

“Similar to the National AVGC-XR (animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality) Policy that has a clear roadmap for the ACGC (animation, VFX, gaming, comics) sector, there is a need for National Media and Entertainment Policy,” CII’s white paper titled Reimagining India’s M&E Sector: A Call for Action to Build a Future-Ready, Globally Competitive Industry by 2030 stated. “The Indian media and entertainment sector does not have a ‘National Policy’ or a roadmap to set benchmarks to articulate policy measures to take it to the next level. It has been managed by a plethora of acts and regulations, multiple licensing and regulatory bodies. The sectors such as telecom, information technology and pharmaceuticals have turned around and become world-class industries after the adoption of national policies for the respective sectors. With the emergence of convergence, AI impact and evolution of multiple platforms, the time is ripe for the introduction of a National Media and Entertainment Policy.”

   

What reforms has CII proposed for OTT, broadcasting and gaming?

 

Among other demands, CII highlighted the need to preserve self-regulation for OTT platforms and reform broadcasting by enabling a market-driven ecosystem and creating a central body for ratings and transparent data. This comes as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has proposed amendments to the television rating system to boost credibility and accuracy and explore ways to add connected TV viewership.

 

Apart from this, it has requested the establishment of an autonomous National Esports and Gaming Development Authority to set policies, standards and certification for games, esports tournaments and research and development, creating a single-window digital portal for the sector.

 

How does CII want to boost exports and support global market entry?

 

“India’s AVGC and film exports remain modest compared to their global potential,” the white paper stated. For this, CII urged the establishment of a central export fund with a Rs 500 crore corpus for global content distribution, festival marketing and market-entry research, and to offer 15 per cent cash rebates for AVGC exports, streamlining visa and IP transfer processes for global studios. The white paper also called for bilateral marketing tie-ups with other countries for co-marketing Indian content abroad.

 

What incentives does CII want through a PLI scheme?

 

India’s production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes have catalysed growth in manufacturing, but the media and gaming sectors remain under-incentivised, the white paper stated. As a result, CII recommended implementing a PLI scheme offering 10-20 per cent cash incentives on eligible expenditure for original IP, animation, gaming and XR projects, and prioritising projects with export potential and significant domestic research and development investment.

 

How does CII propose tackling piracy and cybercrime?

 

As piracy continues to erode legitimate revenue, especially for OTT and digital content, CII urged the development of specialised cyber-piracy units. Through this, technically skilled enforcement teams can be equipped with forensic tools, AI detection dashboards and legal authority to act swiftly across jurisdictions.

 

What infrastructure and skilling measures has CII recommended?

 

On infrastructure and technology, CII asked for accelerating the development of world-class film cities in major metros with tax incentives for soundstage and post-production investments, promoting PPP models for infrastructure, and incentivising adoption of emerging technology such as real-time VFX, virtual production and AI. With India being the world’s largest producer of films and yet having one of the lowest screen densities, CII requested that the government simplify and standardise screen licensing.

 

“Skills gaps in animation, VFX, film production and digital media limit India’s competitiveness,” the report noted, where CII recommended establishing 750 skilling centres across the country, with an emphasis on inclusiveness and regional representation.