Smriti Irani talks about PM Modi's vision for creative industries of India

Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) Actress and politician Smriti Irani, who is returning to her role of Tulsi Virani in the reboot of ‘Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi’, shared how Prime Minister Modi’s vision for the creative industries of India is based on their colossal impact.

She also said that beyond the scope of cultural impact, the creative industries of India have a huge potential to contribute to the National economy.

In a recent interview with NDTV, she said, “To have a creative force unleashed across both these platforms in terms of revenue and means of making an impact, we created, we managed to mount a revenue of a total of INR 55, 000 crores. When the Prime Minister of India speaks about the creative industries, and how India can leverage its economic-socio-cultural potential in such a market, it is a defining feature, we are very proud that it is one such media of not just commercial success but also of the cultural impact”.

She also said that when people look at television today, and how it was positioned 25 years ago there’s a huge difference.

Talking about the same, she said, “Most individuals associated with television do not get the respect that we deserve as an industry in terms of the revenue that we generate, and in terms of the impact that we create, and I am counting even the NDTV family in this as well”.

“If you look at the numbers from last year, television itself generated a revenue of upwards of INR 30, 000 crores, OTT, which is now a very integral part of how the stories are told in our country, generated close to INR 24, 000 crore worth of revenue”, she added.

The Indian Media & Entertainment (M&E) industry is experiencing substantial growth, with a projected market size of $30.8 billion in 2024. It is expected to reach $37.2 billion by 2026.

Meanwhile, Smriti Irani's return to the entertainment industry comes after she conceded defeat in Lok Sabha elections last year. She lost the Amethi seat which she fought on a BJP ticket. She lost to INC’s Kishori Lal Sharma by a margin of 167,196 votes.

Earlier, she won against INC’s blue-eyed boy Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi which has a historical significance for INC.

--IANS

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