Discover how a new CII white paper charts India’s ambitious path to a USD 100 billion media and entertainment sector by the early 2030s, driven by accelerated growth and crucial policy reforms.
Key Points
- India’s media and entertainment sector needs to accelerate its annual growth to 15 per cent, up from 9 per cent, to reach a USD 100 billion ambition by the early 2030s.
- The CII white paper, ‘The New Economics of Media & Entertainment’, proposes a 36-month reform calendar with named owners and an annual public scorecard for accountable delivery.
- Key priorities include market-led broadcasting reforms, measurable action against piracy, and investment in regional markets and emerging businesses.
- The paper suggests reducing GST on television, OTT, and music subscriptions to 5 per cent, alongside proportionate regulation and industry self-regulation.
- Growth will be driven by new technologies like responsible AI, virtual production, connected TV, and creator-led formats, alongside expanding cinema screens in under-served regions.
India needs to accelerate growth in its media and entertainment sector to roughly 15 per cent annually, up from 9 per cent, to reach its USD 100 billion ambition by the early 2030s, according to a CII white paper released Thursday.
The immediate priorities are market-led broadcasting, measurable action against piracy, and investment in regional markets and emerging businesses, it said.
Released at the CII Big Picture Summit 2026 in Mumbai, the white paper, ‘The New Economics of Media & Entertainment’, puts a 36-month reform calendar at the centre of this transition.
It proposes named owners, implementation milestones and an annual public scorecard to turn policy recommendations into accountable delivery.
Ambitious Growth Targets And Reform Calendar
According to the paper, at a 9 per cent annual growth rate, considering a USD 32 billion sector revenue base for 2025, the sector would reach only about USD 64 billion by 2033, leaving a revenue gap of USD 36 billion.
“Reaching USD 100-billion requires approximately 15.3 per cent average annual growth over 2025-2033, with momentum accelerating as reforms take effect, ” it said, adding that the target is an ambition, not a forecast.
The paper also identifies six connected billion could be garnered
“India has achieved audience scale; the next imperative is to create, capture and retain greater value from it. The paper argues that stronger monetisation, Indian intellectual property ownership and wider participation must underpin the next growth phase,” said Gaurav Banerjee, Summit Chair at the CII BIG Picture Summit and MD & CEO, Sony Pictures Networks.
Indian broadcasting reform is a central priority, he said, adding that CII seeks greater freedom over television pricing and packaging, removal of carriage fees, restored audience measurement, and transparent standards across screens.
It also proposes reducing GST on television, OTT and music subscriptions to 5 per cent, alongside proportionate regulation and industry self-regulation.
Key Drivers For Sectoral Expansion
According to the paper, while new technologies, creators, commerce and connected TV can generate about USD 9 billion, policy reform, if carried out, will be worth about USD 8 billion, it said.
AVGC-XR demand from defence, healthcare, biotech, education and city governments stands at around USD 6 billion and screens and live experiences in under-served regions such as the Northeast, UP and Bihar are about USD 5 billion as per the White Paper.
Moreover, the next wave of internet users stands at about USD 5 billion while exports, Indian-owned IP and Indian multinationals are about USD 3 billion, it said.
The next phase of growth cannot be driven by scale alone. It will come from new technologies and business models, including responsible AI, virtual production, connected TV and creator-led formats, the White Paper stated and added it will also come from industries beyond entertainment that need Indian studios’ animation, gaming, XR and digital-mapping skills.
Addressing Regulatory Hurdles And Regional Gaps
Calling for greater pricing and packaging flexibility, restored ratings, proportionate regulation and preserved industry self-regulation, CII said television still reaches audiences across the country, but regulatory rigidity, limited commercial flexibility and the prolonged suspension of audience measurement weaken its ability to compete.
The industry body also proposes a verified baseline for piracy losses and a target of a 50 per cent reduction against it within three years.
Seeking investment in regional markets, it said India has about 6.8 cinema screens per million people, and Bihar and Uttar Pradesh have among the lowest screen densities.
Considering this, the White Paper calls for about 16,000 screens by the early 2030s, alongside regional-language content, connectivity and local creative talent.
The paper argues that reforms that change India’s growth rate must take effect within 36 months so their effects can compound, and it proposes a calendar with a named owner for each step, tracked through an annual public scorecard.
