“The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has become a significant milestone in the development of the Indian film industry. India is focused on developing a content creators’ economy, which is vibrant and rapidly growing,” said Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a video message during the vibrant Opening Ceremony of the 55th IFFI held in Goa today.
The Minister also highlighted India’s creative sector as a dynamic force contributing to economic growth and showcasing the country’s rich cultural heritage. “People are coming up with innovative content that showcases India’s diverse cultures, cuisines, rich heritage, and gems of Indian literature and languages in interesting and creative ways as the country continues to empower creators, foster innovation, and drive cultural diplomacy on the world stage,” he added.
The Union Minister also called upon creators to leverage cutting-edge technologies to craft stories that resonate with global audiences while reflecting India’s unique identity. “With the integration of technology and the development of a robust creators’ ecosystem, we believe India’s creative sector will continue to thrive,” he said.
The Minister extended a warm invitation to all film lovers, filmmakers, and IFFI delegates, expressing hope that the festival would foster new partnerships and collaborations for creative minds. “We also hope that young creators will find mentorship and guidance here. The ideas shared during this event will help shape the direction of the industry in the coming years,” he added.
India’s Creative Economy: A Global Powerhouse
In an article published today, Vaishnaw also elaborated on the growth trajectory of India’s creative economy. ‘India’s creative economy is rapidly expanding, now valued at $30 billion, contributing nearly 2.5% to India’s GDP and providing livelihoods to 8% of the workforce. The influencer marketing sector alone is valued at INR 3,375 crore, with over 200,000 full-time content creators contributing to India’s global presence,’ he penned. The Minister pointed out that cities such as Guwahati, Kochi, and Indore are emerging as creative epicentres, fuelling a decentralized creative revolution across the country.
The Minister further emphasised the broader impact of India’s creative industries, stating that they extend beyond GDP growth, helping shape the country’s global soft power through Bollywood, Regional cinema, and other cultural outputs.
The Minister reiterated about the Government’s transformative interventions adding that the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) is a landmark initiative to position the country as a global powerhouse in content creation and innovation. ‘The future belongs to those who innovate, collaborate, and create seamlessly,’ he wrote. ‘Let India’s creative economy be a beacon of inspiration, driving economic growth, cultural diplomacy, and global leadership. Together, let us ensure that every Indian creator becomes a global storyteller, and the world looks to India for the stories that shape tomorrow.’
As IFFI kicks off, the Minister, through his article, emphasised the role of India’s creators in leading the global creative economy. ‘India’s creators are poised to take the lead in the global creative economy,” he stated.
The 55th edition of the festival commenced with a grand opening ceremony in Goa, the permanent venue for IFFI, on 20th November 2024. The nine-day festival will run until 28th November, 2024 offering the film makers and creative artists a platform for sharing and celebrating the joy of cinema.
PRASAR BHARATI MAKES ‘WAVES’ IN OTT SEGMENT
Chief Minister of Goa Dr.Pramod Sawant launched ‘WAVES’ the OTT platform of the national public broadcaster, Prasar Bharati at the opening ceremony. Sanjay Jaju, Secretary I&B, among other dignitaries was also present on the occasion.
Doordarshan, India’s iconic public broadcaster, has ventured into the OTT (Over-The-Top) platform space to cater to the growing demand for digital streaming services. The platform aims to revive nostalgia while embracing modern digital trends by offering a rich mix of classic content and contemporary programming. With a library featuring timeless shows like Ramayan, Mahabharat, Shaktimaan, and Hum Log, the platform appeals to audiences looking for cultural and emotional connections with India’s past. Additionally, it offers news, documentaries, and regional content, reinforcing its commitment to inclusivity and diversity. By leveraging its decades-long legacy and national trust, Doordarshan’s OTT platform bridges the gap between traditional television and modern streaming, reaching tech-savvy youth and older generations alike.
‘WAVES’ makes its entry as a large aggregator OTT with Inclusive India stories embracing Indian culture with an international outlook, in 12+ Languages – Hindi, English, Bengali, Marathi, Kannada, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati, Punjabi, Assamese. It will be spread across 10+ Genres of Infotainment. It will provide Video on demand, free-to-play gaming, Radio streaming, Live TV streaming, 65 live Channels, several App in App integrations for video and gaming content, and online shopping through Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) supported e-commerce platform.
As a conscious step to unlock the potential of young creators in the creative economy, WAVES also offers its platform to content creators including National Creator Awardees like Kamiya Jani, RJ Raunac, Shraddha Sharma and others. WAVES has opened its portal to student graduation films of film and media colleges like FTII, Annapurna, and AAFT.
New Films and shows on WAVES to be screened at IFFI
Aligning with the focus of 55th IFFI on young filmmakers, WAVES will screen ‘Roll No.52,’ a student grad film from Annapurna Film and Media Studio by Nagarjuna and Amala Akkineni.
‘Fauji 2.0,’ a modern adaptation of the iconic 1980s Shahrukh Khan show Fauji, ‘Kicking Balls’ by oscar winning Guneet Monga Kapoor, ‘Jackson Halt’ a crime thriller, and ‘Jaiye Aap Kahan Jayenge’ themed on mobile toilets will be screened on WAVES
WAVES includes LIVE events like the Prabhu Shriram Lalla Aarti LIVE from Ayodhya and the monthly Mann ki Baat by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The upcoming US Premier League Cricket Tournament will be carried LIVE on WAVES from 22nd November, 2024. WAVES will also launch a Cyber Security awareness campaign with Daily Video messages in partnership with CDAC, MeitY. This campaign is backed by programmes such as Cyber Crime ki Duniya (a fictionalized series) and Cyber Alert (by DD News features).
Other films and shows on WAVES include fantasy action super hero ‘Monkey King: The Hero is Back,’ the national award winning Fouja, Armaan, Vipul Shah’s thriller show Bhed Bharam, family drama Thode Door Thode Paas featuring Pankaj Kapoor, Kailash Kher’s music reality show Bharat ka Amrit Kalash, Sarpanch, BeCubed by Hotmail Founder Sabeer Bhatia, women centric shows and films such as Corporate Sarpanch, Dashmi, and Kariathi,Jaanki. WAVES also carries a selection of popular animation programs including Doggy Adventure, Chota Bheem, Tenaliram, Akbar Birbal, and games like Krishna Jump, Fruit Chef, Ram the Yodha, Cricket Premier League tournament.
Expanding the repertoire of content formats, language, genre and reach on WAVES are Live channels including Doordarshan, Akashvani, and private channels across multiple categories such as news, general entertainment, music, devotional, sports.
Central Government Ministries and states are also joining hands with Prasar Bharati to co-develop and contribute varied content such as docudramas, dramatized or fictionalized shows, reality shows with entertainment value, as an effective vehicle for meaningful messages. Some content includes a documentary on the 75th anniversary of the Supreme Court of India, the NFDC archives titled Cinemas of India, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry’s rare archival content like historical photos, journals and publications. The Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance, IGNCA, Ministry of Culture and India Post have also contributed informative and entertaining programming to WAVES.
The Digital Experience of WAVES fuses Indian ethos with modern look and feel, friendly user interface, cross-Platform compatibility, personalized profiles and curated playlists add value to the streaming experience.
This launch signifies a major leap forward not only for Prasar Bharati but the digital media and OTT audiences, as it offers a complete infotainment ecosystem.
