India's broadcasting ministry and Amazon signed an agreement
on Wednesday, the company said in a statement, adding that the move
“strengthens our commitment to globally promote and showcase India's creative
talent and stories through our multiple services.” Amazon's India unit will
also introduce a special feature to promote books and journals from the
ministry's publication arm.
India is a key growth market for Amazon and its Prime Video
streaming service, but it's also a country where the firm has faced antitrust
challenges, legal battles for hurting religious sentiments in its TV shows and
allegations of undercutting mom-and-pop stores. The tie up comes before
national elections next year where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will probably
seek a third term.
The partnership with a government ministry is a rare move
for the Seattle, Washington-headquartered company. Last year, it committed to
spend EUR 10 million (nearly Rs. 90 crore) over three years as it announced a
collaboration with the UK's National Film & Television School to give
students career opportunities in company-commissioned productions.
Despite the high volume of movies produced each year, mainly
through the Hindi-language industry based in Mumbai — Indian films haven't yet
managed to earn the kind of global crossover appeal South Korean content has,
with award-winning titles such as Parasite or Netflix's Squid Game. Netflix
last year signed a pact with India's government to create training programs for
post-production and animation, Deccan Herald newspaper reported.
“The partnership with Amazon India is unique on a number of
counts,” Anurag Thakur, India's Minister for Information & Broadcasting,
said in the statement. The partnership would provide scholarships, internships
and masterclasses for students “and help to reduce the period of struggle for
the talented artists,” he added. © Bloomberg
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