India Courts The World: IFFI Ambassadors’ Roundtable Paves The Way For Global Film Collabs

By Pickle November 21, 2025

From anti-piracy innovation to regulatory reforms and cross-continental storytelling, India’s push at IFFI 2025 signals a new era of cinematic cooperation and opportunity.

India’s ambition to become the “studio of the world” echoed through the halls of the Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage Hotel this week, as the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) hosted its landmark Ambassadors’ Roundtable—an event designed to spark creative collaborations and new co-production ventures between India and its global partners.

The session brought together ambassadors and senior diplomats from Cuba, Nepal, Israel, Guyana, Australia, Ireland, Morocco, Togo, and Côte d’Ivoire, who gathered to discuss pathways for enhancing bilateral audio-visual cooperation, unlocking economic potential through co-production treaties, and building stronger cultural and technological ties.

Conceived as a space for open dialogue, the roundtable focused on emerging opportunities in filmmaking, technology partnerships, and regulatory harmonization—all with the aim of creating a more interconnected and vibrant global creative ecosystem. Delegates discussed easing regulatory challenges for filmmakers, fostering talent exchange, and ensuring that stories and resources could move more freely across borders.

Welcoming the distinguished guests, Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, spotlighted India’s rapidly expanding media environment and its appeal as a destination for international productions. “India is emerging as the ‘studio of the world,’ where global stories can be imagined, produced, and shared,” Jaju said.

He emphasized the country’s multilingual talent pool, diverse filming locations, and world-class animation and VFX studios as competitive advantages. Jaju also invited diplomats to explore the WAVES Film Bazaar—IFFI’s key platform for film business, matchmaking, and co-production deals.

Highlighting the economic stakes, Dr. L. Murugan, Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting and chair of the roundtable, pointed to India’s media and entertainment sector, projected to reach USD 31.6 billion by 2025.

He noted that this growth is fuelled by surging investments in animation, VFX, and next-generation production technologies. Dr. Murugan called co-production “the most powerful avenue for strengthening audio-visual cooperation,” and outlined the benefits of bilateral agreements—joint ventures, simplified permissions, smoother mobility for talent and resources, and greater creative freedom for filmmakers.

India’s strengthened measures to combat piracy figured prominently in the session. Shruti Rajkumar, Consultant at the National Film Development Corporation, presented a comprehensive overview of India’s evolving anti-piracy framework.

She detailed technological interventions and policy mechanisms—developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Law—designed to curb digital leakage and protect content creators in the digital age.

Throughout the event, ambassadors and diplomats praised India’s talent and technology ecosystem, citing the country’s creative workforce and production infrastructure as key reasons for exploring deeper partnerships. They expressed optimism about leveraging India’s opportunities for co-production, which promise not only economic dividends but also a platform for cultural exchange and storytelling that transcends borders.

The roundtable concluded with a vote of thanks by Rajesh Parihar, Director (XPD), Ministry of External Affairs, who acknowledged the diplomats’ contributions and reaffirmed India’s commitment to building a collaborative global audio-visual environment.

As the curtains rise on IFFI 2025, the Ambassadors’ Roundtable stands as a testament to India’s vision: to be a trusted global partner in film, harnessing the power of storytelling, technology, and diplomacy to create a richer, more connected world of cinema.