CHENNAI: The state government on Tuesday signed a letter of intent with JioHotstar to identify and nurture young creative talents by providing them with all the support for their creative excellence.
Sushant Sreeram, head, SVOD Business & chief marketing officer at JioStar, at an event held in Chennai, said JioHotStar will invest Rs 4,000 crore over the next five years to strengthen South India’s creative economy.
Earlier in the day, JioHotstar formalised a Letter of Intent with the state government in the presence of the Chief Minister MK Stalin. Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who inaugurated the ‘JioHotstar South Unbound’ event, said in his post on the X handle, “Jio Hotstar has announced a Rs 12,000 crore investment across the four southern states, including Rs 4,000 crore for Tamil Nadu. This will create thousands of jobs and open new opportunities for young creative minds.”
A release said according to the Letter of Intent signed with the state government, JioHotStar will introduce regional-first formats, new-age stories and storytellers, scaling their work beyond geographical boundaries. Complementing this effort, the online streaming platform will also introduce creator-focused initiatives such as writing labs, mentorship programmes and skill-building workshops aimed at nurturing the next generation of filmmakers, writers, editors and digital storytellers.
Udhayanidhi unveiled JioHotstar’s ‘blockbuster South lineup’ of 25 new titles. Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy CM said Chennai’s tradition and passion for art and culture are ages old, and even Telugu and Malayalam films are made here.
“Art is a powerful force in politics and life; art can liberate, and movies can educate. We have a history of stories causing social changes, with leaders like Arignar Anna and Kalaignar M Karunanidhi instrumental in revolutionary changes in Tamil cinema,” he said.
Pointing out that the contribution of South India has created a new benchmark for Indian cinema, he said, “Content is the king, and we have a long way to go. We recognise that OTT is not replacing cinema, it is expanding it. Today, everyone has a voice - a filmmaker in Madurai or Salem can upload a story and reach the audience across the world.”
Udhayanidhi also said the partnership with JioHotstar will create 1,000 direct jobs and 15,000 indirect jobs. “Our government is committed to building a strong economy hand-in-hand with cinema,” he added. Information Minister MP Saminathan, MNM president and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan, and many film personalities attended the event.