Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos meets PM Modi, announces 'Netflix India Storytelling Initiative'
Mumbai, Aug 5
Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and talked about the growing influence of Indian storytelling on a global level.
Reaffirming Netflix's commitment to India's creative economy, the streaming giant even announced the 'Netflix India Storytelling Initiative'.
As part of the initiative, Netflix will create strategic partnerships with key Indian institutions in an attempt to build the next generation of Indian storytelling talent, equipping them with the necessary skills across the Animation, Visual effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) ecosystem.
Shedding further light on this, Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO, Netflix, shared, "India has always been one of the world's greatest storytelling nations. Over the past decade, we've had the privilege of seeing Indian stories connect with audiences not just across India, but around the world. As we begin our next decade here, we believe our greatest investment is in the people who will tell India's next generation of stories."
"The Netflix India Storytelling Initiative reflects our long-term commitment to strengthening India's creative ecosystem by creating more opportunities for emerging creators, because investing in creators is investing in India's creative future," he went on to add.
In phase one of the India Storytelling Initiative, Netflix will partner with The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) to co-develop an industry-ready curriculum in Visual Effects Mastery and Media Technology Workflows, ensuring that the students have skills that align with the evolving production needs.
Over and above this, they will also be giving scholarships to Indian students towards in-person programs at IICT, such as Interactive Comics and Sequential Art, Virtual Art Department Content Creation, Art of Character Animation, E-Sports and Gaming Management.
During phase two, Netflix will join forces with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). They will build a talent pipeline for the latest jobs created under the Prime Minister's accessibility agenda.
They will be provided training for audio description writers and voices to make films and series accessible for audiences with visual and hearing impairments.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is wonderful! The accessibility angle is especially heartwarming - training audio description writers and voice artists for visually and hearing impaired audiences. That's truly inclusive growth. We need more international companies to follow this model of investing in local talent and making content accessible to all. Proud of how India is being recognized as a storytelling powerhouse!
Interesting development. As someone who watches Indian content on Netflix regularly from the US, I've seen how shows like Sacred Games and Delhi Crime have captivated global audiences. This initiative could really put Indian storytelling on the world map. Hope they also focus on preserving the authenticity of Indian narratives rather than just making them palatable for international viewers.
Good initiative, but I hope it's not just corporate PR. We've seen similar announcements before - big companies come with grand promises, but the actual implementation often falls short. That said, the partnership with NFDC and focus on accessibility jobs under PM's agenda is a positive sign. Hope they walk the talk and actually create jobs, not just workshops. Time will tell!
As an aspiring animator, this gives me so much hope! The scholarships at IICT for VFX and gaming courses are exactly what we need. Indian stories have always been rich - from our epics to regional folklore - but we lacked the technical expertise to present them globally. This initiative bridges that gap beautifully. Can't wait to apply! 🎨✨
It's refreshing to see a major streaming platform investing in local infrastructure rather than just extracting profits. The focus on accessibility is particularly noteworthy
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