The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has unveiled a landmark White Paper titled “Reimagining India’s M&E Sector: A Call for Action to Build a Future-Ready, Globally Competitive Industry by 2030,” during the 12th CII Big Picture Summit held on December 1 and 2 in Mumbai. The summit, themed “The AI Era – Bridging Creativity and Commerce,” brought together key leaders from government, industry, and the creative world to explore how India can harness artificial intelligence, regulatory modernization, and strategic investment to revolutionize its creative economy.
With the global Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry projected to reach $3.5 trillion by 2029, India stands on the brink of massive opportunity. The domestic sector is expected to grow at a remarkable 9.8% CAGR and potentially hit $100 billion by 2030. Despite India’s strong foundation—rising global visibility, AI adoption, emerging film hubs, and thriving creators—deep-rooted structural challenges persist. Fragmented regulations, low screen count, skill shortages, limited export channels, and widespread piracy continue to limit India’s growth story, making CII’s White Paper both timely and necessary.
The White Paper outlines six strategic pillars aimed at transforming the sector: regulatory reform, ease of business, infrastructure development, export and monetization, talent and skills, and IP innovation. Key recommendations include establishing a Unified Media Regulator to harmonize rules across TV, OTT, and digital platforms, implementing a single-window digital portal for all clearances, accelerating the creation of world-class studios and film cities, and boosting international distribution through export funds and global partnerships. Additional reforms focus on aligning media education with global standards, expanding skilling centers nationwide, modernizing copyright laws to counter piracy, and introducing production-linked incentives for original IP creation.
CII also emphasized the government’s pivotal role as a catalyst, acknowledging recent initiatives such as the National Center of Excellence for AVGC-XR and the ‘Waves’ platform for industry collaboration. However, it stressed the urgent need for a comprehensive National Media and Entertainment Policy—a unified framework similar to telecom and IT policies—to ensure regulatory clarity, strengthen investor confidence, and support long-term sectoral growth.
Ultimately, the White Paper is a call for collective, urgent action. By embracing digital-first innovation, regulatory modernization, and global competitiveness, India has the potential not just to expand its domestic creative economy but also to emerge as a major global cultural force. With the right collaborations and reforms, the next decade could become the most transformative era in the history of India’s M&E sector.