Andre Timmins, co-founder of IIFA and co-founder of event management company Wizcraft, firmly believes that the distinction is important. He said IIFA’s value today extends well beyond the awards ceremony itself.
Sarika Sharma
October 26, 2026 / 13:32 IST
Andre Timmins, co-founder of IIFA and co-founder of event management company Wizcraft.
From building commercial partnerships and taking Indian cinema to global audiences to plans for IIFAAmerica in 2028, Andre Timmins, co-founder of IIFA and co-founder of event management company Wizcraft, discussed the business behind the international entertainment property, its expansion strategy, digital ambitions and the economics of staging large-scale events.
Story: For nearly three decades, the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) has been taking Indian cinema to audiences beyond the country’s borders. What began as an international celebration of Hindi cinema has gradually developed into a platform that brings together filmmakers, performers, brands, governments, tourism boards and businesses.
Andre Timmins, co-founder of IIFA and co-founder of event management company Wizcraft, firmly believes that the distinction is important. He said IIFA’s value today extends well beyond the awards ceremony itself.
The gathering of biggest film stars, producers, directors, distributors and industry executives over a few days creates opportunities for commercial partnerships, distribution arrangements, brand endorsements and relationships that can continue long after the event.
The business is now looking at its next phase of expansion. Andre Timmins said he estimates IIFA’s current revenue at around Rs 200-250 crore or more and says the ambition is to take it to Rs 800-900 crore over the next three to four years.
And for that, plans include expanding its international footprint, developing new regional properties, building a digital audience through YouTube and launching IIFA Worldwide in North America, tentatively planned for August 2028.
In an exclusive interview with Moneycontrol, Andre Timmins discussed the economics of IIFA, the importance of destination partnerships and its expansion beyond Bollywood. He also focussed on the commercial rationale behind its digital strategy and how Wizcraft intends to turn the IIFA brand into a broader entertainment and business ecosystem.
Excerpts from the exclusive interview:
Ques:IIFA has played a significant role in taking Indian cinema to international audiences. It was one of the most anticipated award shows in its early years and continues to attract attention. How has the platform evolved as a business over the years?
Andre Timmins: I keep telling people that IIFA is not just an awards function. It is an event, and more importantly, a platform. We have built a space where the industry can come together, interact and do business. Today, I see IIFA as more of a business platform than simply an award show because it is about building businesses, building bridges and bringing cinema and commerce together.
Some of the biggest conversations and deals happen around IIFA. Whether you are a director, actor, singer, producer or distributor, you have the opportunity to meet people who matter to your business. For three or four days, you have a large part of the industry in one place. That creates opportunities that are difficult to replicate in a normal business setting.
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When we started, the emphasis was more on giving stars an international experience. They would travel with their families, enjoy themselves and celebrate Indian cinema overseas. Today, the commercial side has become much more significant.
An actor may come to perform, host the show or receive recognition, but there is also a business dimension to that presence. There are endorsement deals, brand ambassador opportunities, distribution discussions and partnerships taking place alongside the event. We have around 800 media representatives covering IIFA, in addition to the attention it receives across social media and other platforms.
Our original vision was to build a platform for the industry. I believe we have made considerable progress towards that. The important thing is that the industry should feel it has a stake in IIFA. We want people to see value in being associated with it, rather than treating it as just another event on their calendar.
Consider the number of stars we bring together. A film featuring several leading actors can take two or three years to put together. Yet IIFA can bring 70 to 80 stars together around a particular date. That happens because people see value in the platform. Of course, films remain an actor’s first priority. But IIFA offers something beyond the stage. For a country hosting the award show, it is a way to promote tourism, attract business interest and strengthen relationships. For sponsors, it provides international visibility and access to a large entertainment audience.
Our partnerships also demonstrate the value of continuity. Maruti has been with us for around 10 years. These relationships cannot continue for so long unless the partners see value in what we deliver. We are also returning to Abu Dhabi for the fourth time with this IIFA in January 2027. That, too, reflects the strength of the relationship we have built with the destination.
Another important development is our partnership with YouTube. IIFA has been selected for YouTube’s Global Cultural Moment initiative, alongside global properties such as the Met Gala and Coachella. We are the first Indian brand to be selected for this initiative, which is a significant step for us.
IIFA has always been about family entertainment, but we are also looking at how we can reach younger audiences. We want to retain the audience that has followed us for years while making the platform relevant to Gen Z and digital-first viewers.
Ques:Award shows were once television events that audiences waited to watch in their entirety. Today, viewers often consume short clips on Instagram and other social platforms. Why was it important for IIFA to move towards a live YouTube experience?
Andre Timmins: We have to reinvent ourselves and give people different ways to watch the event. Audience behaviour has changed, and the way people consume entertainment is changing as well. We cannot assume that everybody wants to sit through a traditional broadcast in the same way they did years ago.
YouTube gives us an opportunity to experiment with multiple viewing experiences. We are looking at a second-screen format where viewers can watch what is happening backstage, see preparations for performances and follow other parts of the event while the main show is taking place.
Technology allows us to offer more than one perspective. Someone watching the main show may also want to see what is happening behind the scenes or follow a particular performer. We want to make that possible.
YouTube is a natural partner because of its reach and the scale of its promotional capabilities. They are putting considerable effort behind IIFA, including bringing in around 20 to 30 content creators and developing ideas aimed at younger audiences.
For us, this is not simply about adding another distribution channel. It is about building a different relationship with the audience. A live broadcast can reach viewers who may not be able to attend the event, while creator-led content and backstage access can bring them closer to the experience.
I often say that producing IIFA is like producing five movies at once because so many different elements have to come together. The main ceremony is only one part of the production. There are performances, backstage activities, celebrity appearances, digital content and several other layers.
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We are also expanding the IIFA brand through properties such as IIFA Utsavam, IIFA Rangoli, IIFA Connects and IIFA Insider. We are working on IIFA Living, a real estate-oriented initiative intended to bring the IIFA ethos into a different setting.
The larger objective is to create a bridge between culture and commerce. We want people to be able to engage with IIFA in different ways, rather than only during the annual awards ceremony. We are looking at bringing these initiatives together through an IIFA Club app, which could become a common point of engagement for fans and audiences. We are also developing concepts such as iLounges and iCafes, built around the creative industries.
The idea is to create spaces where people interested in scriptwriting, songwriting, singing, acting and other creative pursuits can engage with the industry. We want to become a window through which emerging talent can access the larger entertainment ecosystem. That is how we see the brand evolving. The awards remain important, but the opportunity is to build something that audiences can interact with throughout the year.
Ques: Can you share IIFA’s annual revenue and how much the business has grown over the past five years? What is the revenue target for the next phase?
Andre Timmins: I would put IIFA’s revenue at roughly Rs 200 crore to Rs 250 crore or more at present. Over the next three to four years, we are looking at taking the business to approximately Rs 800 crore to Rs 900 crore. That is a significant ambition, and we see several opportunities to get there. One of the biggest is our planned expansion into America through IIFA America and the development of new collaborations across categories.
We are looking at partnerships in areas such as perfumes, leisure and sneakers, among other possibilities. These collaborations can help us extend the brand beyond the annual event and create additional
The idea is to build multiple commercial opportunities around the IIFA name. We have an established relationship with the entertainment industry, an international audience and a brand that has been built over many years. We want to use those strengths to expand into new markets and categories. IIFA has already demonstrated that Indian cinema can attract audiences internationally. The next step is to build a larger business around that appeal.
Ques: Large-scale international events require significant investment. What are IIFA’s margins, and how do you assess the return on investment from an event of this scale?
Andre Timmins: IIFA is our flagship property. We may not always make the highest margins from the event itself, whether we look at the top line or the bottom line, but it creates considerable value for Wizcraft as a business. Our margins generally average around 22% to 25%. However, the return from IIFA cannot be measured only by looking at the financial performance of the event in isolation. When we successfully deliver a large international production, it demonstrates our capabilities to destinations, brands, partners and governments. It creates opportunities for Wizcraft to secure business in other markets as well.
A good example is Abu Dhabi. After working there for three years, we opened our Dubai office. Today, that office is doing very well. The relationships and experience we built through IIFA helped us develop a stronger presence in the region. The event also brings us into contact with local partners, production teams, sponsors and other businesses. Those relationships can lead to further projects, and that is an important part of the overall return.
IIFA is therefore both a business in its own right and a showcase for what Wizcraft can deliver. It allows us to demonstrate our ability to manage a production involving a large number of performers, technical teams, partners and stakeholders across international locations.
The wider commercial impact is important. When we enter a new destination, we are not just delivering a show and leaving. We are building relationships that can create business opportunities well beyond those few days.
Ques: Salman Khan is returning to IIFA after an absence of a few years. Why did you choose him, and has his return generated greater interest among audiences and partners?
Andre Timmins: Salman is part of our family. I have known him for more than 30 years, and he has always been a great supporter of IIFA. We have had several leading names associated with the platform over the years, including Mr Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Anil Kapoor, among others. For Salman, IIFA is like home. We wanted him back because we knew he would bring considerable value to the brand. He is also interested in doing something new, which makes the association exciting.
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We missed him for the last two or three years, so his return is special. Interestingly, whenever people talk to me about Salman and IIFA, they often ask about his after-party rather than his performance. They want to know how they can attend it. That tells you something about the excitement he brings to the event. When Salman is around, he has a way of taking over the atmosphere. We are fortunate to have his support.
We are also working with Karan Johar, whose father was my mentor. Over the years, we have built relationships with several people in the industry, and those relationships are extremely important when you are putting together an event of this scale.
Wizcraft does around 400 events in a year, so we work with many actors and entertainment professionals on a regular basis. That familiarity helps us understand how to work together, particularly when we have to deliver a large international show within a tight schedule. For an event like IIFA, you need people who are cooperative, comfortable with the production team and willing to work together under pressure. The performers are the face of the show, but there is a tremendous amount happening behind the scenes.
Our relationship with the industry is not purely transactional. Many artists support us because they trust the team and understand the effort we put into the production. They often go beyond what is formally expected of them.
That trust has been built over time. We have been in this business for 39 years and have delivered some of the largest events in the country and internationally. We worked on Michael Jackson’s show in India, the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games, and the Global Citizen Festival featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Jay-Z and several Bollywood stars. We have also worked on the celebration of 50 years of India’s independence in Delhi, which involved around half a million people across 12 states.
These experiences teach you how to manage scale. The artists know that we understand the importance of production quality and will not compromise on hotels, technical requirements, comfort, dancers, technology, holograms or other essential elements. When someone is committing time to an international event, they need confidence that the production will match the standard expected of them. That is the responsibility we take seriously.
Ques: Indian cinema now extends well beyond Bollywood, with regional industries increasingly influencing the national and international conversation. How is IIFA adapting to this shift?
Andre Timmins: We have faced questions about whether IIFA represents only Bollywood. That is one of the reasons we began developing other properties. IIFA Utsavam focuses on South Indian cinema, while IIFA Rangoli is our initiative in Gujarat. We are also working on IIFA Marathi. These properties allow us to engage with audiences and industries that have their own identities, stars and commercial ecosystems.
We are taking this expansion further by bringing a state into the IIFA ecosystem as a partner each year. Telangana is joining us as a state partner through Invest Telangana, with participation from the state’s leadership and a delegation of around 30 to 40 people representing business and cinema.
You will see names such as Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan and Nagarjuna associated with the broader participation, alongside business representatives. The idea is to create opportunities that go beyond the awards and performances. We are also working with the Indian Global Forum on a business forum lasting around one and a half days. It will bring together discussions around media, entertainment, sustainability and sports.
This is an important part of our strategy. When we bring the entertainment industry to an international destination, there is an opportunity to bring businesses, policymakers and other stakeholders into the same conversation. The next major development is IIFA Worldwide, which we are planning to launch in North America, potentially in August 2028. Las Vegas is among the locations we are considering.
We have been working on this concept for the last two years. It will recognise Indian cinema and Hollywood films that perform in India, with the event taking place in North America. The idea is to create a platform that brings Indian and international entertainment together. We could have performers such as Kevin Hart sharing a stage with Shah Rukh Khan, Jennifer Lopez with Hrithik Roshan, or Billie Eilish with A.R. Rahman. Priyanka Chopra and Hugh Jackman are another example of the kind of cross-industry pairing that captures the spirit of the concept.
When we talk about Indian cinema, we mean the entire spectrum, including Hindi films, Bengali cinema and the various South Indian language industries. We also want to recognise Hollywood films that have performed well in India. Our experience in places such as Tampa and New York showed us that there is an audience for this kind of property. We also identified an opportunity to create a platform that connects these entertainment industries in a way that is commercially meaningful. India represents a market of around 1.4 billion people. There are opportunities across entertainment, tourism, products and brand partnerships. By bringing international and Indian artists together, we can create a platform through which collaborators can explore that market. That is the larger commercial opportunity behind IIFA Worldwide.
Ques: As entertainment becomes increasingly global, how will you make IIFA America relevant to Indian audiences while also attracting viewers in the United States?
Andre Timmins: We intend to broadcast the event live on YouTube and an Indian television channel. We are developing a format that takes into account the fact that different audiences want different things. When we go to America, we want the presentation to feel more local and connect with American audiences. At the same time, our core audience will continue to include Indians and the wider global Asian community.
Our experience in the United States has shown us that the audience is already there. When we did Tampa, we had around 32,000 people inside the venue and another 20,000 outside around the green carpet, which stretched for more than two kilometres.
People travelled from Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Atlanta. Some arrived early in the morning to secure their positions and be part of the experience. Across our US events and ticketing efforts, we saw substantial demand. We sold around $8 million to $9 million worth of tickets, which gave us confidence that there is a market for this format.
We are not going to America with the sole intention of attracting more American viewers. We want local audiences to experience Indian entertainment, but we also want to serve the people who already follow IIFA. The strategy is to adapt the format without losing the identity of the brand. We want to make the event accessible to a broader audience while keeping the performances, personalities and cultural connections that make IIFA distinctive.
Collaborations with Indian and international performers can help the process enormously. When Ed Sheeran came to India and collaborated with Indian artists, it was a moment of different audiences coming together. Similarly, when Chris Martin performed with A.R. Rahman on Vande Mataram, it became a memorable cultural moment.
That is the kind of connection we want to build internationally. The objective is not simply to take an Indian awards show overseas. It is to create an experience where artists and audiences from different markets have a reason to engage with one another.
Ques: With so many actors balancing film shoots, endorsements and other commitments, how do you bring them together for two or three days? Does planning for the next edition begin as soon as the current one ends?
Andre Timmins: We are already planning for the next two years. We are exploring the possibility of taking IIFA to Wembley Stadium next year, with the ambition of bringing around 100,000 people together to experience the event. We are also in discussions with a few other countries. Planning at this scale begins well before the event itself. We have to understand which stars are available, what they are shooting and whether their schedules can accommodate the dates.
Sometimes we speak directly to the artists. At other times, we approach their production houses, producers or other people involved in their projects to see whether a two or three-day window can be worked out.
Our experience and relationships make a difference. The three of us, Viraf, Saba and I, remain hands-on in the process. We are personally involved in speaking to people, making requests and working through the practical challenges.
Sometimes we get a yes immediately. At other times, we have to accept a no. I would say that in roughly eight out of 10 cases, we have managed to get a positive response. There have been occasions when production houses have held shoots for two days to allow their actors to attend IIFA. That kind of cooperation comes from the relationships we have built over the years and the work we do for the industry. Our business is not limited to IIFA. We work with the industry on productions, events and international projects, and those relationships help us bring people together.
Of course, there are challenges. You may have the budget and the production re every star you want. Artists have their own priorities, and films remain their first commitment. Endorsements and events come after that
We understand this reality and plan accordingly. Every edition cannot be identical, and we cannot expect every artist to be available every year.
What matters is that we continue to offer value to the people who support the platform. When artists know that the production will be handled professionally, that their requirements will be respected and that the event has a strong international presence, they have a reason to make the effort.
Bringing the industry together is not something that happens simply because an event has the money to do it. It takes years of trust, relationships and an understanding of how the business works.
That is what has allowed IIFA to grow from an awards ceremony into a larger platform for entertainment, partnerships and commerce.”
The 27th Edition Of IIFA Weekend and Awards are set to take over Etihad Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, On 22nd -23rd January 2027. IIFA Awards 2027 will be hosted by Karan Johar, Varun Dhawan, Maniesh Paul and Ananya Panday.
Salman Khan, Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Janhvi Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna and Nora Fatehi will be star performers this year.
Sarika Sharma is Editor, Entertainment, MoneyControl.com. She has over 25 years of experience in the field of entertainment journalism.
first published: Oct 26, 2026 01:19 pm
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