Entertainment industry contributes Rs 6,000 cr pa to economy

Lucknow, Nov 6 (UNI) The entertainment industry, mainly comprising films and music, contributes an estimated Rs 6,000 crore to the Indian economy annually.

''This figure could further move north if the different state governments reduce Entertainment Tax (ET) to the level of 30-40 per cent,'' Ramesh Negi, Commissioner and Secretary Finance, Goa said while addressing a news conference here today.

Mr Negi claimed several state governments had ET at levels as high as 70-80 per cent.

''Such high percentage of ET is not conducive to the growth of the entertainment industry and hampers investment in the sector,'' he asserted.

The coastal state of Goa will host the 37th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) for the third consecutive year.

Commenting on the festival, he said the Goa government had incurred an expenditure of Rs 12-15 crore for holding the fest in the true international format and level.

''Since, the Indian government has decided to hold future IFFIs at Goa permanently, we wanted to spruce up our facility in right earnest,'' he maintained.

Mr Negi said IFFI provided a good platform to various state governments to sell their unique shooting locales to filmmakers, both Indian and international.

''There is lucrative proposition in such fests as it is attended by the cream of the entertainment industry. Therefore, the information and tourism department of the respective states can 'sell' their state to filmmakers,'' he added.

''There is renewed interest among international film production companies for shooting their flicks in India, which provides a big opportunity for us to earn foreign exchange,'' he underlined.

The 11-day IFFI will be inaugurated on November 23 next by noted actor-filmmaker Shashi Kapoor. Bollywood actors like Anil Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Salman Khan and Priyanka Chopra are expected to participate in the opening ceremony.

Leading Bhojpuri singer-actor Manoj Tiwari 'Mridul' will also present a 45-minute programme. This is the first time, that Bhojpuri makes an appearance in an international level film fest.

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