The current age of digitisation has broadened the scope and reach of the media and entertainment industry, noted various speakers at the Media and Entertainment Business Conclave organised by the Federation of India Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Actor and chairman of the MEBC 2013, Kamal Hassan, noted that the state had the possibility of being the centre of many happenings, depending on government support. While the future looks promising, however, there are various lacunae to be addressed,
Vocational training courses such as intensive skill building and certification for cinema technicians in ITI is also needed, he said.
“Our cinema will only grow if there are better tax incentives (especially for the animation sector), easier clearances for shooting in our cities, focussed training schemes for the sector in our five year plans and more public private partnership to raise funds for producing quality films,” he said.
Chief Minister Siddaramiah, in his inaugural address, said the Karnataka government was committed to providing an enabling environment for the industry.
He added that the print media industry has various opportunities to incubate ideas and test various business models as the advertising revenue from vernacular print is estimated to grow at twice the pace of English.
“Developing mobile applications and mobile optimised websites are the need of the hour. The future rests on sustaining subscription revenues and creating a firm foundation for them, building an online content qualitatively and giving advertisers innovative ways to reach out to readers,” the Chief Minister noted.