Advertising
Layoffs in Adland: Omnicom's acquisition of IPG nears finish line. But at what human cost?
Broadcast to AI: FICCI FRAMES 2025 charts India's M&E revolution at landmark edition
FICCI FRAMES 2025 marks its silver jubilee with a two-day showcase featuring India's biggest entertainment names, breakthrough AI discussions, Maharashtra's ₹3,268 crore AVGC-XR policy launch, and conversations spanning Bollywood's evolution to OTT's global ambitions.
As India’s premier Media & Entertainment gathering, FICCI FRAMES will celebrate its 25th anniversary on October 7–8 at The Fairmont, Mumbai, highlighting a quarter-century of transformation, innovation, and storytelling. The milestone edition, themed “Framing 25 Years of Indian M&E: A Silver Jubilee of Vision, Voices & Creativity,” convenes policymakers, platform executives, filmmakers, actors, and tech innovators to reflect on the industry’s journey and chart its future.
Day One: Platforms, Policy and Disruption
The inaugural day features addresses from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Minister of State L. Murugan, and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju, highlighting the government’s ongoing engagement with India’s creative economy. CM Fadnavis will join Padma Shri Akshay Kumar in a conversation on “Maharashtra & Movies,” exploring the state’s influence on national entertainment.
A key moment will be the signing of a memorandum of understanding between FICCI’s IICT and Netflix to bolster India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem through collaboration between academic institutions and streaming platforms. Keynote speakers include TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti on broadcasting growth, Aroon Purie on print and news media, Meta’s Sandhya Devanathan on digital platforms, and Madison World’s Sam Balsara.
Artificial intelligence will take center stage with sessions on “The AI-Powered Media Revolution” and “AI & The Creator Economy.” Leaders from Meta, Google, Autodesk, and JioStar will examine AI’s impact on content personalization and interactive storytelling, while a parallel discussion addresses ethical and creative challenges facing India’s creator economy, projected to reach $5.9 billion by 2032.
On the creative front, FRAMES Brand Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana will speak with film critic Mayank Shekhar about redefining mainstream cinema, while Prime Video’s Gaurav Gandhi and Applause Entertainment’s Sameer Nair will explore scaling Indian stories for global audiences. A panel, “Regulating the Orange Economy,” will tackle the balance between creative freedom, consumer protection, and industry growth, featuring executives from JioStar, Sony Pictures Networks, IBDF, and Zee.
Day Two: Stories, Screens and Social Impact
The second day begins with cricketer-turned-commentator Dinesh Karthik in conversation with JioStar’s Ishan Chatterjee, followed by a panel on “Cricketainment & Beyond” exploring live sports’ influence on entertainment. A fireside chat, “Local Roots, Global Reach,” will highlight regional storytelling’s expanding global footprint, featuring TVF’s Vijay Koshy, actors Neena Gupta, Pratik Gandhi, Faizal Malik, and Viineet Kumar Singh.
State showcases from Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab will underscore emerging creative hubs, with appearances by Huma Qureshi, Sunny Hinduja, and discussions on Punjabi cinema’s evolution into socially rooted micro-dramas. Two sessions will spotlight Maharashtra’s ₹3,268 crore AVGC-XR Policy 2025, aimed at positioning the state as a global hub for animation, VFX, gaming, and extended reality, with contributions from DNEG, Red Chillies VFX, Green Gold Animation, and international voices from Japan and Russia.
Bollywood’s narrative evolution will be examined by directors Shoojit Sircar, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Hansal Mehta, and Ram Madhvani, while Rajkumar Hirani and Ashutosh Gowariker join Boman Irani in “Cinema with a Conscience” to discuss blending mass entertainment with social critique. Streaming platforms are also in focus, with Netflix India’s Monika Shergill reflecting on a decade of globalizing local stories.
The event will close with Ekta Kapoor and Smriti Irani reflecting on the 25-year legacy of “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi,” whose recent revival drew 15.4 million viewers, underscoring the enduring power of women-centric storytelling. Other marquee conversations include Anil Kapoor tracing his journey from Bollywood to OTT, India Today’s Kalli Purie on media credibility, and Konkona Sen Sharma with Rohan Sippy discussing crime drama narratives.
A Silver Jubilee with an Eye on the Future
This 25th edition of FICCI FRAMES not only commemorates the industry’s past but sets a roadmap for its next phase. From traditional cinema to OTT platforms, regional content to global ambitions, and AI-driven creation to policy innovation, the agenda reflects an industry in flux yet poised for growth.
With Maharashtra, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, and Punjab highlighting policies and creative identities, FICCI FRAMES 2025 captures an entertainment sector estimated at more than $28 billion, marking a convergence of storytellers, platforms, and policymakers shaping the next quarter-century of Indian media and entertainment.
SPOTLIGHT
According to LinkedIn’s research with over 1,700 B2B tech buyers, video storytelling has emerged as the most trusted, engaging, and effective format for B2B marketers. But what’s driving this shift towards video in B2B? (Image Source: Unsplash)
Read MoreExplained: Standing Committee’s draft report on India’s fight against Fake News
India’s parliamentary panel warns fake news threatens democracy, markets and media credibility, urging stronger regulation, fact-checking, AI oversight and global cooperation.