The Entertainment technology show 2019 opened with an explosion of promise for the players from the international market. Having joined forces with the Ministry of commerce and Industry with its SEPC (Services Export Promotion Council) wing, the show brought together Indian services industry in M & E space and companies from international markets under one umbrella.
The first day began with an address by SEPC vice chairman Maneck E Davar in which he graciously welcomed the guests and dignitaries from over 33 countries who had convened to witness the content presentations and B2B sessions.
Discussing the importance of the current scenario of content in the international market, Cosmos Maya founder Ketan Mehta in his mentor address shared, “As the number of screens increase right from the laptops, computers and even phone screens, what in effect is also increasing is the number of eyeballs. This increase in the consumption of the audio visual content is what is going to drive this evolution. We in India and South Asia if we see it form about 20 percent of the world population. With the reach we have, I can already see the horizons widening in an incredible manner. With the kind of technology absorption we see, we are placed in a very crucial position where we can really leverage these strengths”
Capitalising on the unprecedented opportunity to form constructive synergies and partnerships in terms of content and technology, lynchpins from the Indian market shared their insights and thoughts on the overall event.
Government of Maharashtra Minister of Higher & Technical Education, Marathi Bhasha, Cultural Affairs, Vinod Tawde also graced the event and shared his valuable insights on how the state is a powerhouse for all things M&E, while encouraging the delegates even further.
Department of Commerce joint secretary services Darpan Jain spoke on the advancements of technology and the possibility of its application in the education sector. Adding value to the theme of technology, he shared, “if we want to connect our future generations with the history of India, virtual reality can play a major role”
The evident leaps that have been taken over the past decade in the way content is produced were discussed over the course of the sessions.
Building on the tangent of the path-breaking work that has been seen in the AVGC and M&E sector SEPC DG Sangeeta Godbole shared, “We look forward to working on the conceptualisation of the angle of e-learning. Big avenues have been opened recently”
While day one saw a variety of presentations advanced by delegates from around the world, day two saw a nourishing and insightful boot camp panel discussion on taking IP head on.
Global presentations by Indian and foreign companies included players from sectors ranging from VFX, gaming, animation and content syndication.
Cosmos Maya, DQ entertainment, Meraki films and One Take Media are some of the many names whose immersive presentations brought out the creativity and skill of Indian storytelling.
While VFX studios like Motion Philm, Digital Bricks and Rotomaker wowed the audience with the brilliant display of their show reels, animation companies from across the world had the viewers on the edge of their seats.
Presentations were followed by a networking lunch and interaction sessions where the delegates found an opportunity to communicate their ideas and explore business opportunities.
Day two opened with an elaborate panel discussion on taking I.P head on.
Highlighting the potential of Indian Media and Entertainment sector not only as a global outsourcing destination but also for creation of its own intellectual property, SEPC-Chair former chairman and eminent lawyer Lalit Bhasin, Technicolor country head (India) Biren Ghose, DQ Entertainment COO Manoj Mishra, Naik Naik and Company managing partner, Ameet Naik and Department of Commerce additional secretary Sudhanshu Pandey discussed the role of immersive Media & Entertainment technology industry in the Indian economy. They discussed the legal perspectives needed to understand intellectual property rights and revenue models and opportunities for commercial exploitation and protection of IP.
The panel discussion shed light on various advantages of IP creation particularly for kids animation and the potential to not only be positioned as a preferred destination for outsourcing Media & Entertainment services but also for the creation of its own intellectual property rights.
The enriching discussion was followed by lunch and B2B discussions and exhibition which allowed the delegates to meet one another and explore business avenues.
The two-day event undoubtedly set the tone for the proliferation of the M&E scene and effectively brought about opportunities for players to synergise in constructive ways.
Surely, the event has grown by leaps and bound since its inception, the number of participants from both national and international milieu seems to have increased by large while the number of participating players in each segment have drastically increased too.
