Electronics & Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) of India in collaboration with the Media & Entertainment Association of India (MEAI) set up the first Indian pavilion at the Asia TV Forum & Market (ATF) which recently took place at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, Singapore from the 7th to 9th December, bringing together a diverse range of industry leaders and professionals from the entertainment industry. 

The theme of the event, “Content is Still King,” served as a reminder of the importance of high-quality content in today’s ever-evolving media landscape. The conference featured a variety of thought-provoking discussions and content showcases that delved into the current state of the industry and the creative challenges it faces.

Over the course of three days, attendees had the opportunity to attend keynote speeches and panel discussions led by industry experts, providing them with exclusive insights and strategic visions for the coming year. The conference program included educational masterclasses and content showcases, providing attendees with a wealth of information about the latest viewing and production trends that are shaping the entertainment scene in Asia.

In addition to the conference program, attendees also had the opportunity to participate in a vibrant exhibition area where they could connect with potential partners, buyers, and investors. The exhibition area featured a wide range of companies from across the entertainment industry, including production companies, broadcasters, digital platforms, and technology providers.

Mr P Kumaran, High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Singapore graced the event and visited all Indian participants’ stalls to learn more about the activities of Indian participants and to encourage them. 

Attendees praised the event for providing extensive networking opportunities, allowing them to connect with other industry professionals and establish new partnerships. Many attendees took advantage of the schedule of pre-arranged one-on-one meetings, which were organized by the event team to facilitate business connections with Akhil Hari Singh, CEO of InQognito Insights Private Limited stating, “It was a great experience with meeting content creators, distributions and aggregators from across the world and not just the APAC region.”

The delegation from ESC / MEAI was led by Sandeep Narula (Chairman, ESC), Gurmeet Singh (Executive Director, ESC), Ankur Bhasin (Secretary, MEAI and CEO Bhasinsoft) and comprised Artha Animation, Bhasinsoft India Pvt. Ltd., Crazy Cub Animation Studio Pvt Ltd, Giri Trading Agency Pvt. Ltd., Graphic India Pvt Ltd, Green Gold Animation Pvt. Ltd, Gyan Era Learning Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Hi Tech Film & Broadcast Academy Pvt Ltd, iCubeswire Technologies Pvt Ltd, Kayra Animation Pvt. Ltd, Nilesh Patel Studios, Phantom Digital Effects Ltd, Rotomaker India Pvt ltd, Sreedevi Video Corp, YoBoHo New Media Private Limited, P.T Tripar Multivision Plus and Rajshri Entertainment Private Limited.

The event was well-received by the attendees, many of whom were first-time participants. The majority of attendees found the conference program to be informative and beneficial, and praised the wide range of speakers and the quality of their presentations. Several attendees also mentioned that the participation through the ESC / MEAI had helped them in terms of registration, access to a database of buyers, and guidance throughout the event.

Adithya Nori, Senior Manager at Content Sales and Distribution at Green Gold Animation Pvt Ltd shared, “I was quite satisfied with the number of meetings that were scheduled. Although I would have been happier if I could meet more broadcasters, which it seems were less, more of distributors and aggregations.”

On the same pulse, Mrs Jyoti D Rautela, Chief Marketing Officer at Prismart Productions shared “The experience was nice. The people were very eager to meet and optimistic after the pandemic, and the response was overwhelmingly positive.”

Mr Sandeep Narula, Chairman, ESC elaborated on why ESC chose to set up India’s first pavilion at ATF and the support towards the sector, “India’s media and entertainment (M&E) industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. According to a report by IAMAI and Kantar Research, India’s internet users are expected to reach 900 million by 2025 as against 622 million estimated as of 2020, increasing at a CAGR of 45%. The advertising-based video on demand (AVoD) segment is expected to rise at a CAGR of 24% to reach US$ 2.6 billion by 2025”.

“Another study conducted by FICCI-EY maintains that within the Media and Entertainment sector, TV is expected to remain the largest segment and likely to post a CAGR of 7%  to clock at US$ 12.o1 billion. Apart from that mobile gaming, which is also a part of the content industry, is poised to touch US$ 7 billion in value by 2025.  It is also important to note that the Government of India has increased the FDI limit in the M&E sector from 74% to 100%.  The Government is also working on creating a strong infrastructure to strengthen the M&E sector in India, including a centre of excellence for various disciplines of the sector including animation. This has channelized more investment into the sector, which stood at US$ 9.79 between April 2000 and June 2022. The rapid growth of OTT channels, increased emphasis on animated intellectual property (IP) content and larger investments in VFX by studios have provided mind-boggling opportunities for both Indian and international players in the Indian market.”

“In the last two years or so, we have considerably enhanced our footprint both in the software and hardware sector. We are innovating to enter newer paradigms, which we never thought of in earlier years. Let me highlight an area that we have entered which no other organization in India has ever thought of and that is creating an institutional framework for proliferating the number of unicorns in India. We have also pioneered programs for empowering the Indian industry to enter areas like IoT, the manufacture of chips and a lot more. We are also committed to having a huge presence in the M&E sector, particularly in its exports”, elaborated Mr Narula.

Overall, the Asia TV Forum & Market was a successful event for many companies in the entertainment industry, providing valuable opportunities for attendees to connect with potential partners, buyers, and investors, and gain insights into industry trends and innovations. The event received positive feedback from attendees, with many looking forward to participating in similar content and media forums in the future.