The Dutch government launches Me-India on 21st Dec 09’ at Taj land’s end Mumbai

Media News

Mumbai, December 22, 2009

The Dutch government in an effort to build ties with the fast growing Indian Entertainment Industry has launched a unique initiative called ME-India on 21st Dec 09’ at Taj land’s end Mumbai. The initiative’s primary focus is to create a structural hub, which will facilitate partnership between the Dutch and Indian Media & Entertainment industries. ME-India intends to stimulate existing initiatives and to create new ones, thus creating a structural business relationship with India.

ME-India is a collaboration of 14 companies of the Dutch M&E industry and Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs. These 14 companies have varied expertise in the Dutch Media & Entertainment segment and through ME-India; they can collectively approach the Indian M&E industry for strategic partnerships and hence build a symbiotic relationship with them here.

According to the Market research study conducted by the Dutch Ministry of Economic affairs, the turnover of the Dutch M&E sector is a staggering €15 billion. It is expected to grow to € 18 Billion in the next 3 years. Holland is only second in exporting syndicated TV formats in the world. Formats like Big Brother (created as Big Boss in India), Love Letters, Wedden dat (Will you bet me), Deal or no Deal, Fear Factor (Shown as Khatron Ke Khiladi in India), Model in a day etc. Through ME-India, many companies hope to adapt more of such formats and develop future formats too keeping the Indian audiences taste in mind.

ME-India programme aims to build awareness of the various strengths of the Dutch M&E sector. In this effort, ME-India, has partnered FICCI at the Frames 2010 to be held in Mumbai in March of 2010. Moreover ME-India will also facilitate greater participation of Dutch Films in various Indian film festivals starting with the Global Cinema festival to be held in the city of Indore in October, 2009. Mr. Robert laden from KIDSPLANT shared his views on the same. "The prosperity vigor with which the Indian animation companies want to do business is overwhelming in the broadest sense of the word. To get to the core, de true cooperation is a challenge that demands knowledge and experience. In a line of business that of recently the Indian entertainment market has been focusing on acquiring intellectual property rights, a big change in that market that used to focus on studio work."

Amar Soekhlal of the Hindustaans Film en Muziekfestival says "The foundation ‘Hindustaans Film- en Muziek Festival’ (Hindustani Film- and Music Festival) organizes an annual ten-day film festival in The Hague, the city with the biggest population of Indian people of the European mainland. The core of its activities is aimed at Indian film and music. Our collaborating partners in India are, among others, big film producers as Yashraj Films and Mukesh Bhatt. All of them can be found in the heart of the Indian film industry in Mumbai – i.e. Bollywood."

Similiarly, Mr Narsingh Balwantsingh, of Prithvi Productions is of the opinion that "The time has come now to aim our attention from the west, towards the east. Under the influence of  the increasing prosperity, the changing expectations of the ever growing middle class of India are offering chances to show this expertise and to tap into a new market. To successfully do business in a country as India, it is necessary to, not only be professional, but also to poses knowledge of the culture of the country. Prithvi Productions is a Dutch company that is specialized in audio visual services, furthermore the company is specialized in everything that has to do with India and the Indian Diaspora. Knowledge of the Indian culture & religion and the expertise in the field of audio visual technology offer a solid base to do business with India in the field of media and entertainment. The time is right for the West to meet the East."

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