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Concert economy set to surge as India Cine Hub beta platform to go live by October-end: MIB’s Sanjay Jaju
At FICCI Frames 2025, I&B Secretary Sanjay Jaju highlights ₹2.5 lakh crore media & entertainment industry, doubling of concert economy, and government efforts to boost content creation, AVGC XR, and global collaborations.
"We understand there are plays there in the market because of technological disruptions. We are also looking at reforms for DTH for television segment," said MIB’s Sanjay Jaju.
The concert economy in India is poised for significant growth, with efforts underway to double its size, said Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. To support this expansion, the Ministry is launching a single-window platform through India Cine Hub by October-end, aimed at easing permissions and facilitating concert organization across the country, giving a major fillip to this vibrant segment of the creative economy.
Speaking at FICCI Frames 2025, Jaju reflected on a quarter-century of evolution in India’s media and entertainment sector, calling it a “journey of creativity, technology, and entrepreneurial spirit.”
Icons like Diljit Singh and Arijit Singh are performing to packed stadiums worldwide, demonstrating the sector’s massive direct and indirect economic impact, the Minister noted.
Jaju said, “We are looking at doubling the concert economy. Icons like Diljit Singh and Arijit Singh are performing to packed stadiums worldwide, generating huge direct and indirect economic impact.
We are easing the process of setting up concerts in India, with a beta version of a single-window platform launching by October end to boost the concert season starting November.”
The sector employs over eight million people directly, with millions more indirectly involved in everything from cinema halls to cable operations.
“This is not just an industry. It has the stature of a creative economy. Our content travels to over 200 countries, subtitled in multiple languages, carrying India’s soft power across the globe,” he said.
In July, the government had launched a concerted push to scale up the country’s live entertainment sector, with the first meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on Promotion of the Live Events Industry. The JWG, chaired by Jaju, aims to transform India’s Rs 20,861 crore live entertainment market into one of the world’s Top 5 by 2030.
Constituted under directions from Union I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the JWG brings together representatives from Central and State Governments, industry associations, rights societies and major event companies. The initiative follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent emphasis on leveraging India’s live concert and entertainment economy as a driver of jobs, investment, tourism and cultural influence.
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The JWG recently outlined several key measures to strengthen India’s live entertainment sector including integrating live event approvals into the India Cine Hub portal to provide single-window clearance, launching a Centralised Digital Music Licensing Registry in collaboration with rights societies, and creating a model policy that allows multi-use of stadiums and public spaces while encouraging greenfield venue development. The roadmap also calls for incorporating live entertainment skills into the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) to boost employability, along with exploring financial incentives such as GST rebates, subsidies, blended finance models, and MSME recognition for event companies.
Power of Orange Economy
Standing at the 25th edition of FICCI Frames, the Minister also recalled the genesis of the World Audiovisual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019.
“FICCI Frames is a moment of learning for me... The seeds of WAVES were actually sown here.”
Quoting the Prime Minister, he emphasized, “India's orange economy is not merely about entertainment. It is about ideas and imagination, about turning our cultural strengths into creative energy that inspires the world.” He highlighted how WAVES aims at “connecting creators, connecting countries,” leveraging media and entertainment as a tool of global soft power.
The Minister also mentioned that “WAVES should become a platform for bringing together the global creative economy. It’s going to be a bi-annual event. It’s going to happen in 2027,” adding that “WAVES is not an event, it is a movement.”
Reflecting on India’s cinematic journey, Jaju pointed out, “Indian creators are becoming global storytellers. Films like Lagaan, Slumdog Millionaire, Dangal, Baahubali, RRR, and Elephant Whisperers have carried India’s narrative across continents. The recent success of Kantara proves that millions of stories are still waiting to be told. As our Prime Minister said, we have 10,000 stories; only 25 have been told so far.”
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He also lauded independent cinema and digital content, noting how platforms have amplified voices from small towns and villages. “In this age and times, Indian creators prove that our stories transcend language. The language of emotions connects human civilization,” he added.
Tenfold growth of M&E industry
Jaju underscored the sector’s phenomenal growth.
“In 2000, when it all started, the total size of the industry was around ₹25,000 crore. Today, we are close to ₹2.5 lakh crore - growing over tenfold in 25 years.” He cited the massive reach of film and television, which touches 80 crore people daily, and highlighted digital media as the fastest-growing segment, expanding almost twice as fast as India’s GDP.
Emerging segments such as AVGC XR (animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, extended reality) are growing at a robust 30% annually.
Jaju also addressed challenges, calling for a balance of growth and responsibility.
He highlighted the importance of fair revenue distribution, combating misinformation, and curbing piracy, which affects intellectual property, national security, and finances. “These are not obstacles; they are reminders that our creative process should grow responsibly,” he said.
“The fundamental right of expression under Article 19(1) lies at the heart of our Constitution, and all of us know how powerful this is. It should not get eroded because some people try to monetise content by generating clickbait and fake material,” he said.
Looking ahead, Jaju said, “This is the next golden age of creativity. AVGC XR has huge potential. Artificial intelligence is a disruptor, 5G direct-to-mobile could redefine content consumption, and international collaborations through co-production treaties with 17 countries can elevate Indian storytelling globally.”
He detailed institutional and policy support: WAVES events abroad, Wave X for creative startups, India Cine Hub as a digital single-window system, and the Indian Institute of Creative Technology for upskilling and incubation.
Broadcast, DTH, and other segments are being reformed to make India the “world’s most vibrant, ethical, and innovative creative economy.”
"We understand there are plays there in the market because of technological disruptions. We are also looking at reforms for DTH for television segment," the Minister said.
Concluding with a forward-looking note, Jaju called on the industry, investors, and creators to “frame the next quarter-century of Indian media and entertainment together - one that is bold in creativity, fair in conduct, and global in impact.”
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