MUMBAI: In conjunction with the private sector, the centre has decided to set up an excellence centre for animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC).

"I am pleased to let you know that we have made the decision in principle to establish an AVGC centre of excellence in partnership with the business sector. In order for the private sector to lead the AVGC transformation rather than the government, we are proposing a 48 percent stake for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, 26 percent for FICCI, and 26 percent for CII. "We hope that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting functions as a catalyst for the upsurge in the media and entertainment industry," Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Apurva Chandra said during the opening session of the conference.

Chandra also disclosed that Invest India would be used as leverage to increase international investment in India's film industry.

"The ministry has combined several film departments; the Mumbai-based NFDC will serve as the centre of the government's cinematic branch. With this, we hope to redesign the office that facilitates film. We will give this to Invest India, the government's primary investment agency, he said, adding that the central government will create a model theatre policy in collaboration with the states.

"The number of theatres has decreased during the last five to six years. This trend needs to be reversed. In order to encourage the creation of additional theatres and provide the people more opportunities to experience the enchantment of movies in theatres, we will task the film facilitation office to collaborate with Invest India to develop a single-window platform for opening theatres. Therefore, for the states to adopt and work on the same model theatre policy, we would also collaborate with them, he said.

Chandra informed the representatives of the industry that he had a meeting with certain titans of the motion picture business to discuss the proposed changes to the Cinematograph Act.

"All the interested parties in attendance agreed that the suggested revisions to include anti-piracy clauses and an age classification with UA category were necessary. We hope to introduce the modified Bill in the winter session of the parliament with the help of the film industry," he added.

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