MUMBAI: Leading digital industry players at Convergence India 2009 last week reiterated the need for content protection technology and content distribution to function collaboratively in India. The need for more discussion on regulatory issues in India is essential where content protection is concerned.

Participants at the event pointed out that real numbers on the problem of actual piracy at TV set top boxes, as opposed to potential piracy, were not available.

The Indian media and entertainment industry will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 9.1% to reach $3.4 billion (Rs 168.6 billion) by 2013, according to KPMG. However, it loses $4 billion and 820,000 jobs each year due to piracy and counterfeiting.

The Centre for Content Protection (CCP) and the Motion Picture Dist. Association (MPDA), brought together leading digital industry players at New Delhi to discuss recent developments in digital protection technology for content distribution and how this relates to monetisation of content.

“Content protection helps consumers in India and elsewhere to purchase content per-view, per-hour and on whatever device that suits the consumer. We are looking forward to engaging the Indian industry more,” said CCP Director Isa Seow.

The event, CCP’s first in India, at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi on March 19, featured key industry players in digital content distribution. They included Steve Christian, Vice President, Marketing, Verimatrix; Eric Diehl, Director, Security Technology, Thomson; Gautam Gandhi, New Business Development India Google; Sanjiv Kainth, India Country Manager and Head – South Asia, Irdeto; and Vidar Sandvik, International Product Marketing Manager, Conax AS.

Warren Pearsall, Director, Major Accounts, NDS Asia-Pacific, sees India as one of the most dynamic markets for the growth of digital pay-TV. "NDS technology enables operators to deliver uncompromised, innovative content, positively impacting the growth of the industry while fighting piracy," says Pearsall.