India will be the ‘content continent’ of the world: Union Minister Anurag Thakur at WITT Global Summit 2024

New Delhi, 26 February 2024: Praising the Indian entertainment industry’s exceptional evolution over the years, Mr Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs and Information & Broadcasting asserted that in the next 10 years, India will become the ‘content continent of the world.”  

In a fireside chat with TV9 Network MD and CEO Barun Das on the first day of TV9 What India Thinks Today (WITT) Global Summit 2024 held on February 25^th in the national capital, Mr Thakur said, “In the next 10 years, India will be the content hub of the world. It will be the ‘content continent’ of the world”.

The Union Minister further acknowledged India’s stellar performance on international platforms such as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games and said that he is hopeful that the country will be the top-10 sporting nation by 2036 and top-5 by 2047. 

He added, “We had the largest population to see the Olympic sports last time (in 2020 Tokyo) and this time, it makes more sense for the IOC to give 2036 Olympics to none other than Bharat, our India.” 

Mr Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa also graced the event for a keynote interview on ‘Brand India: Leveraging Soft Power’, where he supported the administration’s faith in soft power. 

Speaking about the same, Mr Kant noted, “The Prime Minister believes that the cultural strength, the civilizational impact, the tourism products which India has, no other country in the world has. He believes that this can be the biggest driver of India’s growth, it can be the biggest employment creator”.

Joining a fireside chat on ‘Female Protagonist: The New Hero’, celebrated actress and Padma Shri awardee, Ms Raveena Tandon, underlined the problems of a patriarchal society saying, “When the time came for women to be great at their work, to be masters of their craft, they were told to retire. This is something that I never understand.”

The inaugural day of the summit also featured the TV9 Nakshatra Samman Awards, celebrating contributions of the finest stars in sport and entertainment sphere. Record-holding athlete Harmilan Bains, para cricket champion Amir Hussain Lone, professional shooter Sift Kaur Samra, and badminton champion Anmol Kharb rounded out the list of sporting stars to be honoured, while superstars Allu Arjun, Raveena Tandon, Grammy award winners Rakesh Chaurasia and V. Selvaganesh were awarded for their artistic genius in a dazzling display.

Held under the overarching theme of “India: Poised for the Next Big Leap,” the inaugural day discussions explored India’s soft power and a celebration of its brightest stars in cinema and sports. The second day of the three-day summit will host Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with leaders from the world of business, and politics.