HYDERABAD: The Centre will establish 237 private FM radio stations in small towns across the country, Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Information and Broadcasting, said at the 16th edition of the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC), which began at HICC on Wednesday.
Addresing the conference, Jaju said the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) had issued a call for an expression of interest and would soon auction 237 local private FM radio channels in towns across the country with populations under one lakh.
Jaju also stated that the government is setting up the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies as a national centre of excellence to nurture talent and provide financial support for professionals in gaming, animation, and related sectors.The institute will be established through a PPP model with 52% equity by FICCI and CII and 48% by the Centre. The institute will be based in Mumbai, with a regional hub in Hyderabad.
The secretary also shared that Prasar Bharathi’s OTT platform will be launched at the inaugural of International Film Festival of India - IFFI, starting November 20. He noted that nearly 60 channels currently available on DD Free Dish will be accessible on the OTT platform, which will also feature a significant amount of archival content.
Jaju also met the founders and CXOs of the leading video gaming and interactive entertainment companies to discuss industry-related issues. He emphasised that the video gaming industry is driven by content and creativity and expressed the I&B Ministry’s commitment to collaborating with the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) to cultivate high-quality talent at scale, enabling India to become a global leader in gaming. He highlighted that India views the gaming industry not only as a “sunrise” sector but also as a rapidly growing one.
The secretary also discussed WAVES, the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit, which will be held from February 5 to 9, 2025. He urged youth to participate in the ‘Create in India’ challenge, emphasising that the summit aimed at showcasing Indian talent to the world and attracting global investors.