The 25th edition of FICCI FRAMES, India’s premier Media and Entertainment (M&E) event, commenced on Tuesday at The Fairmont Hotel near Sahar Airport. Bringing together over 3,000 participants from the film, TV, digital, and creative sectors, the event includes government officials, business leaders, and artists.
### Theme and Opening
This year’s theme, **“RISE Together – Reimagine, Innovate, Strengthen, Empower,”** reflects the industry’s commitment to collaboration and growth. The opening day featured a significant dialogue between Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and popular Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. They discussed Maharashtra’s continued pivotal role in shaping India’s film and entertainment landscape. The Chief Minister also outlined the state government’s plans to support and expand this creative sector.
### Government Support and Industry Insights
Union Minister of State L. Murugan and Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, emphasized the government’s dedication to nurturing India’s creative economy. They highlighted the importance of embracing new technologies and policies that empower creators and businesses across media and entertainment.
### Major Highlights: FICCI IICT and Netflix Partnership
One of the day’s standout moments was the announcement of a new partnership between FICCI’s Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICT) and Netflix. The agreement aims to bolster India’s AVGC sector—covering animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality. This collaboration seeks to enhance skill development for students and professionals and foster the creation of superior content through advanced technologies.
### Industry Leaders and Emerging Technologies
Several key sessions featured industry leaders such as TRAI Chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti, who discussed the expansion of broadcasting, and Sandhya Devanathan from Meta, who shared valuable insights on digital platforms. There were also engaging conversations on how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing media and content creation, demonstrating the sector’s rapid adaptation to cutting-edge technology.
### Silver Jubilee Celebrations: Vision, Voices & Creativity
FICCI FRAMES 2025 marks a significant milestone—the silver jubilee edition of the convention. The theme **“Framing 25 Years of Indian M&E: A Silver Jubilee of Vision, Voices & Creativity”** pays tribute to the imagination, innovation, and industry power that have redefined India’s creative economy globally.
The inaugural session included distinguished guests such as Advocate Ashish Shelar, Minister of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra; Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting; Anant Goenka, Senior Vice President of FICCI; Sandhya Devanathan, VP & Head – India and South East Asia, Meta; and Kevin Vaz, Chairman of FICCI M&E Committee and CEO – Entertainment, JioStar.
Sanjay Jaju remarked,
> “The industry creates more than 8 million jobs directly and many more indirectly. When FICCI FRAMES began 25 years ago, the demand was for this sector to be recognized as an industry. Today, it is not just an industry but an entire ecosystem of dreams, bringing together art, technology, and above all, aspirations.”
### Voices from the Industry
Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, the official FRAMES Ambassador for this year, added a creative perspective, reflecting on the evolution of India’s cultural narrative and its increasing global influence.
During the fireside chat with Akshay Kumar, CM Fadnavis acknowledged that the Film City project remained unexecuted during his previous tenure between 2014 and 2019 despite extensive planning.
> “This time I have decided that we will convert Film City into a world-class film ecosystem,” he stated, adding that the transformation would commence within a year. Akshay Kumar urged the Chief Minister to prioritize this transformation.
### Film City Redevelopment
The redevelopment plan includes building state-of-the-art studios equipped for emerging technologies such as virtual production, artificial intelligence, and advanced visual effects. The site already hosts the Indian Institute of Creative Technology, a unique institution with 52% ownership by industry bodies like FICCI and the remainder held by the Maharashtra and Indian governments.
### Maharashtra Government’s Vision
Advocate Ashish Shelar, Minister of Cultural Affairs and Information Technology, Government of Maharashtra, highlighted that the state’s media and entertainment sector contributes over ₹2 lakh crore to the regional GDP. The government is actively rolling out a comprehensive film policy and developing new film cities across Maharashtra to meet growing industry demand.
### Additional Key Sessions
Day 1 also featured several keynote sessions and panel discussions with prominent industry personalities such as Director Shoojit Sirkar, Ashwini Iyer Tiwari, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Kevin Vaz (CEO, Entertainment at JioStar), and Arun Srinivas (Meta India), among others.
### What to Expect on Day 2
The second day promises more power-packed sessions, including a special conversation between Ekta Kapoor and Smriti Irani celebrating 25 years of *Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi* (KSBKBT). Additionally, there will be fireside chats and panel discussions featuring celebrated actors Anil Kapoor and Huma Qureshi, among others.
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FICCI FRAMES 2025 continues to be a landmark event, underscoring India’s growing strength and innovation in the global media and entertainment industry. Stay tuned for more insights and developments from the event.
https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/ficci-frames-2025-launches-media-revolution
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