Dr. Anusuya Biswas
Alliance University, Bengaluru
Entertainment has emerged from a source of leisure and culture expression to a driver of strategic economic powerhouse that creates employments, magnetize investment, boost tourism, and enhance international influence. Globally, the creative sector, comprising media and entertainment (like film, television, streaming services, video contents and radio), digital media and gaming (animation, VFX, digital content creation, computer games etc.), Visual and Performing Arts (like theatre, live music, dance, concerts and, fine arts) and budding sub-sectors such as AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) -are progressively recognized as catalyst for innovation and equitable development.
India has effectively transformed its Media and Entertainment (M&E) sector into a largest creative landscape while Bangladesh, in-spite of its cultural heritage and evolving digital community, is yet to harness its economic potential entertainment sector.
Media and Entertainment (M&E) Industry in India
According to FICCI-EY M&E Report (2025), India’s M&E industry is a sunrise sector valued at US$ 30.08 bn (i.e., ₹ 2.79 trillion) in 2025, accounting for 9.1% Year-on-Year growth. It contributes 0.73% to country’s GDP where revenue share from advertisement (above ₹1.5 trillion) alone accounts for 0.41% in GDP. The success is primarily driven by digital media including over-the-top (OTT) platforms, digital advertisement and short-videos and, live entertainments. In 2024, digital media surpassed television with $10.51 billion USD (₹1 trillion) and became the largest segment in M&E by contributing 32% of the total revenue. India’s M&E market projected to become third largest globally with US$ 35.65 bn (₹3.3 trillion) by the end of 2028 (EY, Mar 2025).
The sectoral expansion has propelled by rapid digital adoption, mounting streaming services (like growing OTT platforms, expanding digital networks and diversifying video-on-demand), regional content creations and surging global demand for India’s entertainment services.
India’s Success Story
India’s boom in M&E industry is largely reshaped by digital expansion, consumer preferences, and state-of-art technology. The rapid transformation from linear TV towards digital entertainment has redesigned the content creation, distribution, and monetization (FICCI, 2026). Besides, success in Bollywood movies, regional films, such as Bangla, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema, also emerged as a world established brands.
Additionally, India’s homegrown OTT platforms like JioHotstar, Amazon MX Player, Zee5 and Sony Liv along with regional OTT providers such as hoichoi (Bangla movies and web series), aha and Sun NXT (Telugu, Tamil & Malayalam and Kannda), Chaupal (Punjabi, Haryanvi and Bhojpuri) etc., competes with global OTT players like Netflix and Amazon Prime videos. This sector catered not only in India but also in Asia, Africa, North America, and Europe.
The astonishing growth of this sector is due to several government initiatives and institutional factors. The pillars were laid down in 1991 economic reforms of India with the introduction of Liberalization, Privatization, and Globalisation (LPG). The LPG policy stimulated private and global investment and participation in India’s media and broadcast industry while the State governments offered tax incentives and streamlined the film production processes to magnetize domestic and global investment.
To acknowledge and incentivize the creative and innovative work of the people, India has built a robust copyright and royalty management systems which enable creators with sustainable source of income. The main driver which boosted the digital media as well as OTT is cheapest internet facilities and around 995.63 crore broadband subscribers (TRAI). The robust expansion of the market was due to mobile-first consumption and high demand for vernacular and regional contents (FICCI).
Furthermore, GOI has established a flagship institute – Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune (1960), Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata (1995), M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute, Chennai for filmmaking and cinematography. Beside these India has lots of booming private universities dedicated to equipping creative artist like Whistling Woods International (Mumbai), Asian Academy of Film and Television (AAFT), Noida etc.
Nevertheless, decision-makers observed M&E as an export-driven industry that generates foreign exchange and have global presence rather than merely a cultural program. India’s entertainment industry has made a global reach with wins and nominations at Oscars and Cannes. It has globally recognized as a production hub exhibiting VFX magnum opus such as Oscar nominated Mufasa: The Lion King and Emilia Pérez. India also made a digital impact globally through Indian Premier League (IPL). In 2026, the digital consumption of IPL reached a record high of 1.2 bn viewers with 7% y-o-y growth rate. Overall, the industry’s export value rose to around US$ 11 bn (₹946.77 bn). The high global demand for India’s creative economy comes from animation and visual effects, gaming, and live events.
In recent policy initiative, Government of India (GOI) has extended FDI limit in M&E sector from 74% to 100%. Though, the FDI inflows have reached to US$ 12,456 bn (₹ 82,201 crore) from 2000 to 2025. Further, the online gaming segment is estimated to grow US$ 3.52 bn (₹317 bn) by 2027 from US$ 3.07 bn (₹ 260bn) in 2025, which is determined by increasing digital adoption and user engagement. Additionally, in Union Budget 2026-27, M/o Information and Broadcasting received US$ 515.07 million (₹4551.94 crore) and proposed to set-up an AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) Content Creator Labs (CCLs) in 15000 schools and 500 colleges, with an investment of US$ 0.03 billion (₹ 250 crore) (IBEF, 2026).
M&E Sector in Bangladesh
Bangladesh possesses several components to replicate similar success. It has a flourishing creative ecosystem reinforced by youth population, digital adoptions and growing internet connectivity with 135.94 million total subscribers including 120.84 million mobile internet users (BTRC). The rising domestic OTT platforms like Bongo, Chorki, Binge, Bioscope, and Toffee indicates that audiences are eagerly looking for locally produced digital contents however, the sector encounter with structural impediments such as financial constraints, digital piracy, fragile copyright enforcement, poor infrastructure and uneven competitive landscape for local streaming platforms. These challenges considerably discourage investment and innovation in this sector.
India’s success provides various invaluable lessons for Bangladesh. One, entertainment should be considered as strategic economic sector which fosters entrepreneurship, creates jobs, boost technological innovation and promote diversified exports. Second, policy reforms with respect to copyright legislation, intellectual property rights, and effective royalty system. These will encourage domestic innovation and attract foreign investment.
Strong Copyright and IPR enforcement will ensure fair competition while effective royalty system offers sustainable source of earnings for filmmakers, writers, musicians and performers which motivates them for creative innovation. Third, institutional support in creating a competitive environment for domestic and global digital streaming platforms. Further, investment incentives, competitive tax policies, and transparent regulations would enhance domestic innovation while attracting global investments. Fourth, Bangladesh should develop creative infrastructure and human assets.
Modernizing the film studios, animation centres, VFX labs, post-production amenities and dedicated training institutions would enhance quality production and generates skilled job prospects. Moreover, collaboration between universities and industry to design programmes in filmmaking, animation, VFX, digital media, game development and creative entrepreneurship. Finally, Bangladesh should position its entertainment industry in global markets through export and tourism. Developing international creative brands, participation in international film festivals, co-production agreements with other countries, fostering cultural tourism and artistic exports can generate foreign exchange and strengthen Bangladesh’s global brand. Such policy and institutional reforms have strengthened India’s creative landscape and could considerably enhance Bangladesh’s creative and entertainment economy.
Although, the recent policy developments in Bangladesh signifies growing acknowledgement of entertainment industry however, the challenge lies in strong institutional support and policy reforms. Bangladesh is rich in creative genius, cultural diversity and increasing digital adoptions. However, the country needs a policy environment that transforms these creative assets to thrive. India’s M&E roar highlights long-term policy and institutional supports instead of short-term interventions laid the groundwork of globally competitive environment. By carefully designing policy reforms considering Bangladesh socio-economic factors, the country can revamp its entertainment industry into an engine of sustainable economic growth.
References
- FICCI & EY. (2025). Media and Entertainment Industry Report 2025.
- Confederation of Indian Industry: India to the World: Changing Ecosystem of India’s Media & Entertainment Sector
- Bangladesh Ministry of Cultural Affairs.
- Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC).
