MUMBAI: The curtains came down on FICCI-FRAMES 2008 today. FICCI Entertainment Committee and Yash Raj Films chairman Yash Chopra said FICCI-FRAMES 2008 was the biggest and the best event so far. However, he lamented that there was not much industry participation this year.
“The industry as a whole needs to participate in FICCI FRAMES so as to make it a platform where ideas can be exchanged and the future of the industry can be shaped. We hope that in 2009, the show will be even bigger in scope and participation,” Chopra said.
US-India Business Council (USIBC) president Ron Sommers gave a clarion call to all industry stakeholders to combat piracy in the entertainment sector that is siphoning off Rs 16,000 crores a year and resulting in a direct job loss for 820,000 people.
Addressing the valedictory session of FICCI-FRAMES, Sommers said, “The way forward was to build public awareness on the need to fight counterfeiting and piracy, advocate against piracy by supporting the passage of the optical disk legislation and fighting the scourge of cross-border piracy.”
The protection of Intellectual Property (IP), he said, was vital not only to protect jobs and boost economic growth but also to enhance global competitiveness and foster innovation.
Actor Ranbir Kapoor appreciated the efforts of the entertainment industry through FICCI-FRAMES to bring the core issues confronting the industry to the fore. Kapoor described by industry stalwarts as the “face of new, resurgent India”, spoke about the importance of marketing of a film, which he learnt during the release of the film Saawariya and the critical value of finance for making films.
Kaleidoscope managing director Bobby Bedi gave a 360 degree view of the critical elements that could be extracted from his project named Mahabharata as value propositions and merchandising them for the benefit of consumers.
FICCI Convergence Committee chairman and Reliance Entertainment president Amit Khanna added, “The Indian economy has reached a point of inflection and this change is being witnessed in the entertainment industry as well.”
FICCI Western Region Council chairman Sushil Jiwarajka said, “FICCI-FRAMES has come to represent a blend of continuity with change, with industry stalwarts and news players putting their best foot forward in pushing the growth of this dynamic industry. With 240 speakers from overseas and participation of delegates from 17 countries, the mega event holds the prospect of becoming even bigger in the years to come.”
