Lok Sabha Question No. 4313 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-26
Subject: Government support for Regional Film-makers and Digital Media Growth
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Shri Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4313 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26.03.2025

## GOVERNMENT SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL FILM-MAKERS AND DIGITAL MEDIA GROWTH 4313:  SHRI SUKANTA KUMAR PANIGRAHI:

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

- a. the  various  financial  and  policy  measures  undertaken  by  the  Government  to  support regional  film-makers,  journalists  and  digital  content  creators  particularly  in  States  like Odisha;
- b. the funds allocated and disbursed under these initiatives during the last five years and the manner in which these measures benefited the regional media industry;
- c. the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  regional  films  and  digital  content  from Odisha  at  national  and  international  platforms  and  the  impact  of  these  initiatives thereupon;
- d. the manner in which the Government is ensuring the growth of digital media startups and independent  journalists  in  regional  languages  while  maintaining  responsible  content dissemination; and
- e. the  future  plans  of  the  Government  to  further  enhance  financial  aid,  infrastructure  and skill development in the regional media and entertainment sector?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## (DR. L. MURUGAN)

(a) to (e): National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) under the Development Communication & Dissemination of Filmic Content (DCDFC) scheme extends financial support to all filmmakers across various regions including Odisha for film production in multiple Indian languages.

NFDC also provides financial aid to the debutant director and supports co-production of films in various  Indian  languages  including  Odia.  An  amount  of    ₹93.64  crore  (approx.)  has  been sanctioned to support film production activities in the last 5 years, fostering the growth of the regional  media  industry  by  empowering  first-time  filmmakers  and  facilitating  co-productions. Further, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has set up India Cine Hub (ICH) to provide financial assistance to filmmakers to promote their films at international film festivals across the world.  ICH  provides  financial  aid  to  the  movies  selected  in  any  competition  section  of  an International  Film  Festival  of  repute  or  India's  official  nomination  to  the  Academy  Awards under foreign film category for promotional activities.

Under the Startup India initiative, the Government is implementing various flagship Schemes to support startups across categories and sectors including Media and Entertainment. In addition, the Government launched the National Startup Awards (NSA) in 2020 under the Startup India initiative,  to  recognize  and  reward  outstanding  startups  and  ecosystem  enablers.  Various measures are undertaken to encourage startups from diverse sectors and groups to apply across categories in the National Startup Awards. These measures include social media outreach, offline and online advertisements, in-person capacity building workshops and webinars, promotion through  websites  of  line  Ministries/Departments  and  State  Governments,  and  encouraging ecosystem stakeholders to spread awareness about the awards.

Further, the Government has recently set up the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) with the objectives of creating a world-class talent pool in India, catering to the Indian as well as global industry, setting-up incubation centres for the AVGC-XR  sector  and  providing opportunities  for  small  players  to  grow.  IICT  is  an  independent  industry-led  institution  which will respond to the skilling requirements of the industry.

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