NEW DELHI: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) is working towards creating a draft national broadcast policy and consultations on the animation, visual effects, gaming and comic (AVGC) policy will also be held soon, the government said at the ninth CII BIG Picture Summit.
I&B ministry additional secretary (broadcasting) and CVO Neerja Sekhar mentioned that the Centre is close to creating a draft version of the policy. “Though consultations on the National Broadcasting Policy were held with stakeholders and industry, we have included emerging issues as well. We are close to a draft version. As an emerging sector with great potential, we are also working on AVCG and will hold consultations soon,” she added Sekhar.
The media and entertainment sector is growing rapidly in India and is emerging as a key contributor to the Indian economy. Sekhar mentioned that different forms of media are growing simultaneously and offering consumers unique content across TV, print, radio, films, and digital platforms.
She also sought the industry’s support in getting infrastructure status to the broadcasting industry, and help from industry bodies like CII in conducting “good periodic surveys and research” on media consumption patterns.
“We work on data and what is happening in the market as there has to be a co-relation with the reality. But data is available on piecemeal basis. A good periodic survey will help us make policies, as our data is dispersed,” she said.
Echoing the sentiment, I&B joint secretary Vikram Sahay shared that OTT platforms provided a huge opportunity for young artists, directors, actors, singers, musicians, and technicians to come up and present their skills to a larger audience and that the government is trying “to ensure that our consumers are protected in all ways” from fake news and other unacceptable content.
“The concerns are uniform across the world. It has nothing to do with India, specifically it is concerned with protecting children from content not suitable for them. And therefore, we have been in touch with the industry to work out a model which is acceptable to all of us,” he added.
The virtual event saw eminent speakers from all over the industry sharing their thoughts on how to make the sector progress faster.
