'I & B Ministry will help film industry'

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sushma Swaraj assured the entertainment sector of her Ministry's cooperation on Friday. She said her department was ready to help the vibrant industry to bring it on par with Hollywood.

"The doors of my Ministry are open for any help, advice or assistance that you may need," Swaraj said, at FRAMES 2001, a two-day global convention on the business of entertainment organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) here.

"The industry has great potential and a vast export market," she stressed, adding that the industry will have to reap the benefits of the technology boom to be on par with the United States and other countries: "We are eager to cooperate with you and help you all in every possible way."

She said the government had come out with guidelines on Direct-to-Home (DTH) televison and was thinking in terms of Direct Terrestrial Telecast (DTT). "The industry has to be technology-driven," she added.

Reiterating the government's stand to boost the entertainment industry by removing all bottlenecks, the minister said, "We are looking into the representations made and we are ready to sort out pending matters. The TV software business is destined to go up. Another key area in this sector is development of human capital."

She also said that the IDBI had already taken and expressed willingness to finance bankable projects for the film industry.

UNI