Special Correspondent
Panaji
The International Film Festival of India 2025 on Friday brought together diplomats for an Ambassadors’ Roundtable, with the session exploring new pathways to advance bilateral audio-visual cooperation. There was a focus on co-production opportunities, creative-economy growth and deeper cultural exchange.
Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr L Murugan, who chaired the roundtable, positioned co-production as “the most powerful avenue for strengthening audio-visual co-operation.”
He noted that India’s media and entertainment sector is projected to touch $31.6 billion in 2025, fuelled by exponential growth in VFX, animation and next-generation production technologies.
Dr Murugan also highlighted the role of bilateral agreements in enabling joint development ventures, simpler permissions, smoother mobility of talent and resources, and increased creative freedom for filmmakers.
He spoke about India’s strengthened measures against piracy, facilitated through inter-ministerial collaboration with the ministry of electronics and information technology, the ministry of home affairs and the ministry of law, ensuring a safer ecosystem for global productions.
Ambassadors of Cuba and Nepal, senior diplomats representing Israel, Guyana, Australia, Ireland, Morocco, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire participated in the roundtable and shared insights into the film industries in their respective nations.
The dignitaries collectively expressed optimism about collaborating with India’s creative workforce, accessing its technological strengths and exploring co-production avenues that could mutually enrich their cinematic ecosystems.
Conceived as a platform for dialogue between India and partner nations, the roundtable centred on emerging possibilities in filmmaking, technology partnerships, and regulatory harmonisation that can strengthen global creative ecosystems.
The discussion focused on unlocking economic value through co-production treaties, fostering cultural and technological exchange, easing regulatory challenges for filmmakers abroad and building a more interconnected creative landscape.
Delivering the welcome remarks in the roundtable, secretary for ministry of information and broadcasting Sanjay Jaju highlighted India’s rapidly expanding media environment and its growing appeal as a production hub.
Shruti Rajkumar, the consultant for the National Films Development Corporation presented India’s evolving anti-piracy framework before the roundtable.
