MUMBAI (TIP): It’s that time of the year again. The onset of a much-awaited spring in New York and a long, hot summer in Mumbai.

The 16th Annual FICCI FRAMES conference on the Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry is back at the Rennaissance Hotel & Convention Centre situated on the picturesque Powai lake in Mumbai.

It’s Wednesday, March 25th 2015; Day 1 of the event, and in addition to the locals, NRIs and other business visitors from USA, UK, Canada, Australia and other countries are here again in full strength; veterans from the media business, aspirants in the field of entertainment, panelists, delegates, you name it, the conference has them all.

About FICCI FRAMES 2015

FICCI FRAMES is Asia’s largest global conference on the business of Media and Entertainment. Spanning three days, the conference covers the entire spectrum of the M&E industry, with back-to-back presentation sessions, panel discussions & master-classes focused on micro-specializations such as film, television, radio, print, internet/digital media, animation and gaming among others. This highly-anticipated & most-respected industry event currently draws over 2,500 participants from all over the world, with India & USA together accounting for over 90% of the attendees.

The list of known names at the conference reads like a virtual Who’s Who of the global M&E industry. Attendees get to rub shoulders and interact one-on-one with top achievers in the business; for 2015, the list of presenters & panelists boasts includes Aamir Khan, Kamal Hassan, Ayushmann Khurana, Abhishek Bachchan, Irrfan Khan, Vishal Dadlani, Abhay Deol, Kalki Koechlin, Rohan Sippy, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Arjun Kapoor, Vikas Bahl, Suhel Seth, Ramesh Sippy, Guneet Mongia, Devendra Fadnavis, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Gen. V. K. Singh, Harit Nagpal, Sudhanshu Vats, Gaurav Gandhi, Mukesh Bhatt, Ashish Kulkarni, Sundeep Nagpal, Viraf Patel, Karan Bedi, Kamlesh Pandey, Anjum Rajabali, to name a few.

Day 1 of the event saw the inauguration with Aamir Khan lighting the ceremonial lamp. This was followed by the welcome address from Jyotsna Suri, Vice President, FICCI. Harit Nagpal, CEO & MD, TataSky, delivered the theme address next.

The FICCI-KPMG 2015 report on the Indian Media & Entertainment industry was officially released after Harit’s address; the highlight of this report is the growth registered by various disciplines within the industry.

This was followed by opening remarks from Ramesh Sippy, Co-chair, FICCI Entertainment Committee, and Kamal Hassan. Aamir Khan was next with an interactive session with the audience.

This inaugural session was followed by a series of presentations, panel discussions & master-classes. Detailed coverage of these sessions along with interviews of key presenters & panelists will be provided at the end of the conference.

The list of media corporations at this year’s convention includes BBC, Discovery Networks, Disney India, Fox Star Studios, Phantom Films, NDTV, Excel Entertainment, Star India, Dharma Productions, TataSky, Viacom 8, Zee TV and Balaji Telefilms, among several others.

The convention also features national and international government bodies such as the Consul General of USA, Consul General of Canada and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India).

Finally, there are a number of M&E-centric corporations with booths at the event, looking to showcase a wide range of industry tools & accessories such as film-making & broadcasting equipment, studio apparatus, animation tools, software solutions & related technology.

About FICCI

Established in 1927, FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) is the largest and oldest apex business organization in India. FICCI’s history is closely interwoven with India’s struggle for independence and subsequent emergence as one of the most rapidly growing economies globally. FICCI plays a leading role in policy debates that are at the forefront of social, economic and political change.

A non-government, not-for-profit organization, FICCI is viewed as one of the major voices of India’s business and industry. It works closely with the government on policy issues, enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and expanding business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and global linkages. Partnerships with countries across the world carry forward it’s initiatives in inclusive development, which encompass critical issues such as health, education, livelihood, governance & skill development.

Through its 400 professionals, FICCI is active in 38 sectors of the economy. FICCI’s stand on policy issues is sought out by think tanks, governments and academia. Its publications are widely read for their in-depth research and policy prescriptions. FICCI has joint business councils with 79 countries around the world. Its publications are widely read for their in-depth research and policy prescriptions.

The Media & Entertainment Division of FICCI serves a vital link between the media & entertainment industry, Information & Broadcasting Ministry and global interests in this vibrant sector.

Media & Entertainment Division is an active division organizing the FICCI-FRAMES, conducting & releasing pioneering studies in the sectors, assisting in policy decisions and helping scale up the industry through various initiatives.

This division is guided by the chairman Mr. Uday Shankar and co-chairman Mr. Ramesh Sippy.