Lok Sabha Question No. 1104 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-09-18
Subject: Losses to Indian Film and Television Industry due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Jayanta Kumar Roy, Dhanush M Kumar, Ganesan Selvam, C.N. Annadurai, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo, Bhola Singh, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Sukanta Majumdar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1104

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.09.2020

## LOSSES TO INDIAN FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC

1104: DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

SHRI SELVAM G:

SHRI DHANUSH M. KUMAR:

SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

SHRI C. N. ANNADURAI:

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO

## Will  the  Minister  of  INFORMATION  AND  BROADCASTING  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government has launched a magazine titled New India Samachar to highlight the Government  of  India's  flagship  schemes,  initiatives  and achievements and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the  contribution  of  Indian  Film  and  Television  industry  to  GDP  of  the  country during each of the last three years and the current year;
- (c) whether the Indian Film and Television industry has suffered huge loss due to COVID-19 Pandemic and if so, the estimated/projected loss suffered and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  extend  any  package  for  this  sector  to overcome difficulties due to COVID-19 pandemic;
- (e) whether  the  Government  has  issued  any  standard  operating  procedures  for resuming shooting of films and TV programmes and if so, the details thereof; and
- (f)  the other measures being taken by the Government to promote film industry in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE; MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES AND PUBLIC ENTERPRISES

## (SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR):

- (a) Yes, Sir. The Government has launched a fortnightly magazine titled 'New  India  Samachar'  enumerating  the  people  centric  schemes  of  the Government in order to reinforce the message disseminated through different media.  The  first  issue  of  the  magazine  was  released  for  the  fortnight  15-31 August, 2020.
- (b) India's Film and Television Industry has been growing steadily over the  past  few  years.  Contribution  of  Indian  Films  and  Television  Industry  in India's GDP can be gauged from the information presented below -
- (c) The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has adversely impacted Media and Entertainment Industry. As per  CRISIL report, it  is  estimated  that  COVID-19 pandemic would decrease Indian Media and Entertainment Industry's revenue by 16%.
- (d)     While the Government has not announced any package specific to this sector,  the  relief  packages  already  announced  by  way  of  loan  restructuring plans and special relief package for MSME sector, may benefit the Indian Film and Television industry also.

| Industry Size (in INR Billion)   |   2017-18 |   2018-19 |   2019-20 |
|----------------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|
| Films                            |       145 |       159 |       183 |
| Television                       |       595 |       652 |       714 |

Source :KPMG in India's Media and Entertainment Report 2019

(e)  Yes,  Sir.  The  Government  of  India  has  released  Guiding  Principle  and Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Media production activities to contain spread of  COVID-19 pandemic. (f)    For promoting ease of doing business as also to facilitate filming in India (which  indirectly  promotes  allied  sectors  like  hospitality,  tourism  etc.)  the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has developed a web portal (https://www.ffo.gov.in)  in  the  National  Film  Development  Corporation,  which functions as a single window facilitation mechanism  to accord online permissions for film shooting in India, for both domestic and international film makers. Specifically for film makers whose films have been selected in international film  festivals  of  repute/  Academy  Awards,  the  Ministry  provides  financial assistance  under  Film  Promotion  Fund  Activity  to  those  filmmakers  whose films  are  selected  in  competition  section  of  an  international  film  festival  of

repute or Academy Awards.

For promotion of co-production of films between Indian film makers and film makers  of  different  countries,  Ministry  of  Information  &  Broadcasting  enters into audio visual Co-production Agreements with various countries.  So far, the Government  of  India  has  entered  into  sixteen  audio-visual  Co-production Agreements with various countries.

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