Subhash Ghai, Karan Johar: In the frame

Vivek Fernandes in Mumbai

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) announced the Annual Global Convention on the Business of Entertainment, FRAMES 2002 on January 14 at the Taj Mahal Hotel, Mumbai.

FRAMES 2002, which is in its third year now, is slated to be held on March 15, 16 at the Renaissance Hotel, Mumbai.

With an emphasis on improving the quality of Indian technology, the convention hopes to bring the Indian Entertainment Industry at par with global standards in terms of content and management.

Highlighting the role and the efforts of the FICCI in aiding the entertainment industry gain a firm footing, the core committee (comprising Yash Chopra, Bobby Bedi and Amit Mitra) assured that FRAMES 2002 would see India's largest gathering of national and international entertainment barons.

25 overseas speakers including the likes of James Murdoch (Chairman & CEO, STAR Group), Dr Patrick Cross (Mg Director, BBC Worldwide), Michael Connors (Sr Vice President, Motion Pictures Association of America) and Yoshinori Imai (Director General, NHK, Japan) and noted entertainment moguls Subhash Ghai (Chairman, Mukta Arts Pvt Ltd), Kunal Dasgupta (CEO, Sony Entertainment Television), Peter Mukherjea (CEO, STAR India Ltd), Karan Johar (Director, Dharma Productions) and Yash Chopra (Chairman, Yash Raj Films) will speak at the 24 sessions of the convention.

These sessions will deal with topics as diverse as fighting copyright theft, insurance and niche broadcasting to radio programming, scripting and the new frontiers in filmmaking.

FICCI's knowledge partners -- Arthur Andersen and Amarchand Mangaldas -- will also present their reports and projections on the financial and legal issues affecting all segments of the entertainment industry at the convention.

At a press conference held on January 14, the convener of FRAMES 2002 Bobby Bedi said that the entertainment industry was the only upside in the country's financial down turn in 2001 and termed the industry as 'the bubble that didn't burst'.

Despite the industry's tremendous growth in the past year, he said that it still accounted for only about a per cent of the global industry. Recognising this gigantic opportunity for growth, he said that the FCCI was encouraging adoption of accounting standards in the entertainment sector, inflow of clean capital, insurance and other financial reforms that would help the industry gain transparency and independence.

The role of the Industrial Development Bank of India (IDBI) with regards to its pioneering work in the entertainment sector was also lauded. IDBI earmarked Rs 10,000 million for the entertainment industry last year and Rs 6,000 million of that amount has already been disbursed.

Another highlight of the convention will be India's first Digital Cinema Screening, which will be held on March 14, 2002.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Minister Sushma Swaraj and Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh have confirmed their presence at the convention.