Shri Piyush Goyal encourages businesses in the media and entertainment industries to self-regulate the content of their products so that society does not have to turn to the government for help.
According to Shri Piyush Goyal, our nation’s legal framework for the media and entertainment industries needs to be brought up to date in order to stimulate economic expansion. This would be necessary in order to keep up with the times. The minister believes that there is the potential for India to become a content creator for the rest of the world.
The Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal, has urged the media and entertainment industry to self-regulate the content that it produces. Today in New Delhi, he was delivering a speech at the Valedictory Session of the 11th CII Big Picture Summit.
The minister made the following statement: “On the one hand, we talk about our culture, our heritage, our rich tradition, and our family value system, and on the other hand, some of what we see on television and OTT platforms is unquestionably outside of what is typically accepted standards within the Indian cultural landscape.”
According to him, the leaders of the industry have a responsibility to ensure that India, Indian families, and Indian culture are portrayed with a certain degree of decency. This is something that must be paid attention to. He stated that even though innovative, catchy, and entertaining ways of presenting content were very welcome, traditional methods were still preferred. He was of the opinion that the messages conveyed by these programmes had to be relevant to the situation in India. In addition, he stated that if the industry did not self-regulate, then the government would be compelled to regulate it because of the public outcry that would result from the lack of self-regulation.
The Minister also urged the industry to carefully consider cutting-edge forms of entertainment such as gaming in order to determine the extent to which we are willing to permit our children to use betting sites and other venues that are comparable. He emphasised the importance of striking a balance in order to prevent the detrimental effects that more contemporary forms of entertainment can have on our society and culture.
Shri Goyal stated that the media and entertainment industry presented India with a remarkable opportunity; however, he emphasised that this opportunity could only be capitalised on if the entire sector, along with all of its stakeholders and verticals, came together to collaborate on ideas and work in unison. During the difficult times brought on by the pandemic, he was grateful to the sector for providing content that was dependable and of a high quality in order to keep the citizens of the nation informed, connected, engaged, and entertained.
The Minister believes that one of the fastest growing industries is the one that deals with media and entertainment. He acknowledged that the industry was growing at a rapid pace but urged efforts to produce results that were significantly more significant. He emphasised the vast resources that India possesses in this area, citing everything from India’s technical know-how to the talent of our young boys and girls to India’s excellent digital connectivity, which has been further improved by the rollout of 5G. He said that India’s young boys and girls are particularly talented in this area. He mentioned that India was a significant market for the media and entertainment industry on its own, but he emphasised that there was still a significant distance to travel before reaching the inflection point. He urged the industry to devise innovative approaches to the problems of expanding the ecosystem and implementing economies of scale.
Shri Goyal mentioned that our judicial system needed to be revised in order to reflect contemporary values and norms. As he saw it, it was time for us to give up our colonial mentality and do away with our outdated laws, just as Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had envisioned. He gave the assurance that the government would work with business to draft laws that would actually hasten growth and make day-to-day operations in this industry simpler. He did this in order to demonstrate the government’s commitment to working with business.
In addition, the Minister stated that preparations would be made to streamline the ecosystem of the processes involved in the granting of permissions for filming in India through the implementation of a single window framework. He asserted that the Central Government had already liberalised foreign direct investment (FDI) in the entertainment industry in order to entice international corporations to invest in India. He continued by stating that all efforts should be concentrated on rolling out the proverbial red carpet for international artists who wish to work in India.
The Minister demanded that the sector provide him with information regarding the sector’s most compelling value propositions. He stated that India had the potential to become a global content producer and that content could be produced there at much lower costs. He also stated that India had the potential to become a global content producer. He urged the industry to “create content in India for the world.”
Shri Goyal emphasised how important it is to broaden the reach of our platforms and incorporate innovative tools and technology in order to improve a variety of aspects, including visual effects and animation. The Minister emphasised the significance of embracing innovative forms of storytelling as a means to bring India’s illustrious history, culture, and traditions to the attention of audiences around the world. He argued that the entertainment industry had a significant amount of untapped capacity to generate new employment opportunities, and he pleaded for expanded training and educational opportunities. In addition, he emphasised the significance of the necessity of providing those who work in the sector with equitable wages, social security, healthcare, and other benefits so that they can become an integral part of the success story of the sector.
While assuring them that the government was prepared to support, facilitate, and enable the sector to the greatest extent possible, he advised the stakeholders of the sector to operate independently of the government as much as possible. He said this while also assuring them that the government was prepared to support, facilitate, and enable the sector to the greatest extent possible. He went on to say that in order for the industry to expand, “the private sector and the government must work together in the spirit of partnership.” The Minister urged the industry to seize the opportunity presented by the strength of Indian talent, the competitiveness of our country, and the calibre of our output in order to succeed in the global market.
The Minister released two reports that were produced by CII on broadcasting and made them available to the public. At the event, Shri Apurva Chandra, who is the Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, was joined by a number of other dignitaries.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry, GoI Press Release dt. 17/11/2022: Piyush Goyal comments on self-regulation in Media/ Entertainment industries
