Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday (August 5) to discuss the streaming giant’s commitment to India’s creative economy. During the meeting, the company announced the Netflix India Storytelling Initiative, a multi-phase investment aimed at strengthening India’s talent ecosystem.
The initiative will establish strategic partnerships with key Indian institutions to help train the next generation of storytellers with industry-relevant skills across the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) ecosystem, a key driver of India’s “Orange Economy.”
Netflix said the programme aligns with the Government of India’s Viksit Bharat @ 2047 vision.
In a statement, Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO, Netflix, said, “India has always been one of the world’s greatest storytelling nations. Over the past decade, we’ve had the privilege of seeing Indian stories connect with audiences not just across India, but around the world. As we begin our next decade here, we believe our greatest investment is in the people who will tell India’s next generation of stories. The Netflix India Storytelling Initiative reflects our long-term commitment to strengthening India’s creative ecosystem by creating more opportunities for emerging creators, because investing in creators is investing in India’s creative future.”
The first phase of the initiative will focus on youth skilling through two partnerships with Indian institutions.
Netflix has partnered with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) to co-develop an industry-ready curriculum in Visual Effects Mastery and Media Technology Workflows. The company will also offer 100 scholarships for in-person IICT programmes covering Interactive Comics and Sequential Art, Virtual Art Department Content Creation, Art of Character Animation, E-Sports and Gaming Management, among other emerging creative disciplines.
The company has also partnered with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) to help build a talent pipeline supporting new jobs created under the Prime Minister’s accessibility agenda. The collaboration will train audio description writers and voice artists to make films and series more accessible for audiences with visual and hearing impairments. Netflix said the audio description (AD) skilling programme will be aligned with international standards while remaining rooted in local storytelling traditions.
Netflix’s recent offering in India is Operation Safed Sagar, a patriotic action war drama set to premiere on August 7.