Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos participates in fireside chat with Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Delhi
New Delhi, August 5
Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos is currently in the national capital and participated in a fireside chat with Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat shared pictures from a special session held at the National Gallery of Modern Art.
He wrote, "Celebrated the power of storytelling with Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos during a fireside chat at NGMA today. Cinema is more than entertainment; it is a bridge to culture, heritage and tourism. Every Indian story has the potential to inspire someone, somewhere in the world, to experience India. Our partnership with Netflix, including the 'As Seen on Netflix' integration on the Incredible India portal, reflects our shared vision of showcasing India's rich cultural diversity and strengthening its global soft power through authentic storytelling."
"Together, we look forward to taking India's stories even farther and inspiring the world to visit the incredible destinations behind them," Shekhawat added.
During the conversation, Ted Sarandos hailed India as a hub for filmmaking and diverse stories.
"It isn't just diverse. It is many places all in one place. The challenge of being authentically local is sometimes, even within India, local has a different meaning. Having an understanding of that and investing in that is something we're very proud of in the last 10 years. Our team here in India, Monica, who leads our content team, they are constantly looking for how to capture that diversity of storytelling. No one story can represent India," he said.
"That makes it difficult, but it makes it very rewarding as well. I think as we continue to do this, over the last 10 years, we have filmed original productions in 100 places in India. You can see immediately the diversity of the geography, but most importantly, you can see the diversity of the people and the stories and the history. We talked earlier about the food and the music and the fashion, which define culture.
The fact that it can be defined in so many different ways in one place is incredibly exciting. I was always saying that if we can be successful in India, we can be successful anywhere in the world. Over the next 10 years, we want to continue to expand on that," Ted added.
Meanwhile, Netflix has planned a special premiere of Operation Safed Sagar in the presence of the cast, creators and distinguished guests at Bharat Mandapam on Thursday.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's great to see Netflix investing in local Indian stories. We have such rich culture, from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and every state has its own unique tales. Ted Sarandos saying "if we can be successful in India, we can be successful anywhere" shows he respects our market. Looking forward to more regional content and original productions from smaller cities!
While this all sounds good, I wish the government would also focus on promoting our own OTT platforms and regional cinema halls. Every time a foreign company comes, we roll out the red carpet. What about supporting our local filmmakers who struggle to get their stories seen? Just saying - we need a balanced approach.
The way Ted Sarandos spoke about India's diversity was spot on! "No one story can represent India" - this is so true. We have 28 states, hundreds of languages, and each has its own storytelling tradition. I'm glad Netflix is producing content in 100 places across India. That's real cultural diplomacy. 👏
Good initiative but I hope they don't just focus on the typical "exotic India" narrative. We have modern stories, tech stories, startup stories too. India isn't just about heritage palaces and spices - we are a growing global power. Let's show both sides - tradition and progress - to the world.
As someone who loves watching Indian shows on Netflix, this is wonderful news! The 'As Seen on Netflix' integration on the Incredible India portal is such a creative idea. Tourists from other countries will definitely want to visit places they
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