UK and Indian producer bodies commit to enhanced collaboration  

UK producers trade body Pact has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Producers Guild of India pledging to forge closer relationships between their respective content sectors.

Shibasish Sarkar

The MoU is part of a broader package of partnerships announced Wednesday as British prime minister Keir Starmer leads a delegation to India.

With the newly signed MoU, Pact said there is “huge potential” to expand UK exports to India, as well as coproductions. According to the trade body, British television exports to India have remained steady over the past five years, hitting around £23m in 2023/24.

The MoU includes a commitment to share education about what each country has to offer, as well as sharing best practices, information about tax credits and coproductions, and other market intelligence.

The signing of the MoU comes after the UK’s Minister for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy, signed a cultural cooperation agreement earlier this year, with further plans to deepen collaborations between the productions sectors in both countries.

Pact previously participated in a British Film Institute (BFI)-led webinar aimed at explaining the UK market to Indian producers, and now hosts a reverse session for British producers. These will be followed with co-development and coproduction sessions designed to introduce UK and Indian companies to each other through both online and in-person events.

The BFI also recently signed an MoU with its Indian equivalent, the National Film Development Corporation, committing to boosting collaborations and coproductions.

“At a time of increased political co-operation between the UK and India, and with our shared history such a rich source of inspiring stories, it feels that the time is right to do all we can to bring together our two world-leading production sectors for even more successful collaborations,” said Pact’s head of international and projects, Ross Lewis.

Producers Guild of India president Shibasish Sarkar added: “The UK is already a popular destination for Indian filmmakers who choose to film abroad and the time is ripe now to take that engagement to the next level by widening and deepening ties between the filmmaking communities of both nations. I am confident that our relationship with Pact will act as a catalyst in that process and we look forward to working closely with our colleagues at Pact to realise the immense potential of India-UK creative collaborations.”