Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A special session titled “Digital Dreams & Cinematic Visions: Madhya Pradesh as the Next Creative Hub" was held at the Waves 2025 summit on Saturday (May 3) at PIB Mumbai.
Here, renowned filmmaker Ekta Kapoor officially launched the Film Tourism Policy 2025 of the Madhya Pradesh government.
‘Its smooth to shoot in MP’
At the event, Ekta Kapoor mentioned that for filmmakers, the key things they look for in a location are rebates, easy permissions, good scenery, and a smooth shooting process. She praised Madhya Pradesh for offering these benefits.
The session focused on Madhya Pradesh’s growing role in India’s film and creative industries and featured several major announcements.
The event was moderated by International Correspondent for Variety Naman Ramachandran.
The event also saw the launch of the AVGC XR Policy 2025 and Phase 2 of the Madhya Pradesh Film Cell Portal.
‘MP becoming heart of cinema’
The Principal Secretary of the Tourism Department, Sheo Shekhar Shukla, said MP is not only the 'heart of Incredible India' but also becoming the 'heart of Indian cinema.'
He highlighted the state’s film-friendly environment, strong incentive policies, and simple one-portal permission system. He added, the new policy offers more incentives, especially for films that use local languages, local talent, or are shot repeatedly in MP.
The Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of IT and DST Sanjay Dubey, explained that the new AVGC policy will support sectors like animation, gaming, and visual effects. He stressed that the MP government is ready to take risks and support creative industries actively.
Australian co-production has chosen MP
On the other hand, the CEO of Creativeland Studios, Shobha Sant, shared her positive experience shooting Stree 2 in MP. She said local talent and smooth processes made it easy and enjoyable.
She also mentioned that international films like Lion and A Suitable Boy were shot in MP, and an upcoming Australian co-production has chosen MP as a location. “Whoever comes to Madhya Pradesh once, wants to come again,” she said.
Other speakers included CEO of August Media Group Jyotirmoy Saha, who said these policies would help create creative hubs in the state.
Chairman of the FICCI AVGC sector Ashish Kulkarni, praised MP’s unique attractions such as its local cuisine, Tribal Museum, and Global Skills Park.
With these new initiatives, Madhya Pradesh is positioning itself as a major destination for filmmakers and creative industries across India and the world.
