State-of-the-art studio will make Mumbai global hub of creative economy: CM Fadnavis
Mumbai, Aug 6
Realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to transform India into a global hub for the creative economy requires state-of-the-art technology and world-class infrastructure. The launch of Prime Focus's new cutting-edge studio at Film City in Goregaon marks a major milestone in this direction, significantly empowering Mumbai to become a global centre for creative industries, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said here on Thursday.
He was speaking after inauguration of the first phase of Prime Focus's world-class studio facility situated in the Film City complex.
Chief Minister Fadnavis remarked that Prime Focus's objective to serve the global entertainment and creative sectors by establishing a world-class facility in Mumbai has materialised today.
Assuring that the state government provided all necessary assistance to complete the project on schedule, the Chief Minister highlighted that the first phase was delivered in just one year following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the 'WAVES 2025' summit.
He added that Indian culture, heritage, and history store countless inspiring narratives, and cutting-edge technology paired with a robust creative ecosystem is vital to bringing these stories to the global stage.
Making a special mention of the film 'Ramayana'-one of the world's largest cinematic co-production projects currently being produced at the studio -- CM Fadnavis congratulated the entire production team, expressing confidence that the film would serve as a benchmark for Indian creativity worldwide.
Reaffirming the state government's commitment to nurturing youth creativity, generating new employment opportunities, and fostering an ecosystem for the entertainment industry, the Chief Minister announced that a comprehensive redevelopment plan to convert Film City into a world-class creative and entertainment hub would be finalised soon.
Praising the initiative by Prime Focus, Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar noted that the project represents a seamless integration of culture and advanced technology.
He said that overseeing both Cultural Affairs as well as the IT, AI, and Electronics portfolios allowed him to witness an ideal model of culture and technology uniting to create value for society.
Referring to the trailer of the film 'Ramayana', Minister Shelar added that Prime Focus has given concrete form to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of the 'Orange Economy'.
He congratulated the Prime Focus team for setting new benchmarks by blending creativity, cultural heritage, and technology, adding that CM Fadnavis's vision is giving fresh momentum to the state's creative sector.
Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary, Chanchal Kumar, noted that this world-class facility in Mumbai is the direct result of the MoU signed between the Maharashtra government and Prime Focus during 'WAVES 2025'.
Highlighting that India possesses unparalleled talent, imagination, and rich storytelling traditions in the creator economy, Kumar expressed confidence in India's capacity to lead the global Orange Economy.
He commended the state government under CM Fadnavis for granting swift approvals and support, adding that other investment commitments made during 'WAVES 2025' will soon take shape to benefit the national economy.
Namit Malhotra of Prime Focus expressed his gratitude to CM Fadnavis, the Maharashtra government, and the Film City administration.
He shared that the project serves as Prime Focus's global headquarters and is a point of pride for Mumbai and India.
He emphasised that the vision to build a world-best facility was realised through the state government's backing and affirmed his commitment to completing Phase-2 shortly to secure India's leadership in the global entertainment sector.
Kaustubh Dhavse, Investment Advisor to the Chief Minister Fadnavis, also commended the facility, noting that its rapid execution after the 'WAVES 2025' agreement makes it one of the finest creative content hubs globally.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is amazing news for the Indian film industry! The Orange Economy concept is brilliant - finally someone is recognising the potential of creative industries. Mumbai has always been the heart of Bollywood, and now with world-class studios like this, we can compete with Hollywood on a global scale. Really excited to see the Ramayana film - Indian mythology deserves the best technology to bring those epic stories to life! 🎬✨
Impressive growth for our creative sector. But let's be honest - how many jobs will this actually create for the local youth? We keep hearing about world-class facilities and massive investments, yet the ground reality for aspiring artists and technicians is still very tough. I hope phase 2 and the redevelopment plan includes proper training programs and affordable access for new talent. Otherwise it's just another fancy building for the privileged few.
So happy to see this progress in Mumbai! As someone who works in the VFX industry, I know how talented our Indian artists are. We have been doing back-end work for Hollywood for years, so it's about time we had infrastructure that matches our skills. The Ramayana project is going to be a game-changer. Kuddos to Prime Focus for believing in our creative economy! 🇮🇳
Good to see infrastructure development for the entertainment sector. But I'm concerned about the cost of all this - who's bearing the expenses? And what about the traffic and congestion in Goregaon that's already terrible? They should also think about the environmental impact of building such massive complexes. Let's celebrate the achievement, but also ask the tough questions on sustainability and accountability.
D We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.