Netflix Global CEO Ted Sarandos and Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur.
Netflix Global Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ted Sarandos met Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Friday.
According to a government statement, during the meeting, Mr Thakur highlighted the expanding creative economy and how India has emerged as a content and post production hub, backed by home-grown talent. He also discussed how “India’s regional content today was a global favorite and one of the most viewed content globally apart from being dubbed in dozens of languages”.
Mr. Sarandos is one of the founding members of Netflix, which has a presence in 190 countries and more than 223 million subscribers. Netflix service was launched in India in 2016.
Through an initiative called “Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan”, Netflix has committed to create 25 short and inspirational videos for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
“These videos are used by government agencies across the country on their social media, broadcast on the Doordarshan network and distributed to public and private schools across the country,” the ministry said.
The first set of videos was on “Women Changemakers” and the second set was on the freedom fighters of the First War of Independence (1857).
“Netflix is deeply committed to the local creative community and in partnership with NFDC (National Film Development Corporation) has organized a number of skill development workshops and competitions, including a screenwriting program for 100 women screenwriters, and International Film Festivals of India Has conducted animation master classes in collaboration with Gobelins L’Ecole,” the note said.
It added: “Netflix has also brought plenty of regional content onto the world map with our eagerly awaited Southern slate Godfather (Telugu), leader (Tamil), Chief (Telugu) and Evil spirit (Telugu), besides Animal (Tamil).”