It is serious business
Films are a big business in India. Any business which generates annually as much as Rs 10,000 crore and provides employment to lakhs should qualify as one. Sadly, ground realities are different.

Editorial -- A long way to go
The Indian film industry is a chaos. Not many corporate entities, no rated debt programmes, very few IPOs, no corporate governance, no sound business models, no comprehensive insurance cover, no finance for working capital, no venture or institutional finance. Well, it is a long list.

Identifying media companies
Indian entertainment companies are making a beeline to get themselves corporatised. It is time entertainment company-watchers understand how to evaluate them. Here are excerpts from the Standard & Poor's Movies and Home Entertainment Survey dated 11 May, 2000 which should be an excellent guide.

Need for formal financing
The Indian film industry is turning more optimistic. It is looking at touching new horizons and scale new heights. Most players are aiming at widening their operations and straddling across the entire value chain. Such intents of expansion manifests in many forms. For veteran film maker Yash Chopra, it could mean making more films in a year.

Needed sound business models
Globally, the entertainment industry is redefining itself. Waves of globalisation are sweeping the shores of film industry worldwide. The Indian film industry cannot turn a blind eye to the changes that are redrawing the contours of the film industry all over.

Leveraging technology
Globally, technological developments are ushering in new sales outlets and additional means of distributing entertainment content to consumers. The Internet is affecting entertainment companies in various ways globally.

"Spurious merchandising is very discomforting"
R Ravimohan sees a great future for the Indian entertainment industry. In an interview with FE-Thinktank's, the managing director of the Mumbai-based rating agency The Credit Rating Information Services of India (Crisil) unfolds the various facets of the Indian entertainment industry.

"It is a chaotic industry"
Mahesh Bhat speaks his heart out. In a freewheeling interview with FE-Thinktank's, Bhat talks about the Indian film industry's future, the roadblocks on the way and emerging trends.

"Film business is riskier"
He is the president of the Calcutta-based Gramophone Company of India (GCI), an RPG Enterprises group company. In an enlightening interview with FE-Thinktank, K Krishnan talks about the Indian film industry.