PHDCCI’s 8th Global Film Tourism Conclave sets the agenda for converting cinematic storytelling into measurable tourism growth
PHDCCI’s Tourism & Hospitality Committee organized the 8th Global Film Tourism Conclave on 13 February 2026 in Mumbai under the theme ‘Cinema Driving Tourism’, positioning film tourism as a strategic pillar of India’s destination branding and economic growth. The Conclave was supported by Telangana Tourism and Meghalaya Tourism and brought together senior policymakers, film industry leaders, producers, studio heads, OTT creators and tourism stakeholders.
A special video message was delivered by Shri Suresh Gopi, Hon’ble Minister of State for Tourism, Government of India, who described cinema as a powerful instrument of aspiration and soft power capable of transforming locations into global destinations.
Chief Guest, Mr. Suman Billa (IAS), Additional Secretary & Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, emphasized that film tourism must be intentionally designed as a structured economic driver, highlighting global data showing millions of travellers are influenced by cinema. Guest of Honour, Mr. Jayesh Ranjan (IAS), Special Chief Secretary – Tourism, Government of Telangana, showcased the state’s integrated ecosystem of studios, technology and facilitation through the ‘Film in Telangana’ portal.
The keynote address was delivered by Mr. Ravi Kottarakara, President, South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce, who highlighted the growing dominance of South Indian cinema and its role in promoting culture and tourism. Mr. Uday Singh, Managing Director, Motion Picture Association (India), provided an international production perspective, stressing efficiency, incentives and scale as critical to attracting global projects.
Mr. Rajan Sehgal, Co-Chair – Tourism & Hospitality Committee, PHDCCI, emphasized actionable collaboration between government and industry while Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, CEO & Secretary General, PHDCCI, underscored cinema as India’s most underleveraged tourism campaign. The session was moderated by Ms. Shalini S Sharma, Assistant Secretary General, PHDCCI.
The session on ‘Telugu Film Industry as the Driver of Tourism in Telangana’, moderated by Ms. Supriya Suri, featured Mr. Jayesh Ranjan (IAS); Mr. C. Kalyan, Producer & VP, Film Federation of India; Mr. Venkateswara Rao K, Director, Sri Sarathi Studios; and Mr. CV Rao, Chief Technology Officer, Annapurna Studios, who discussed policy incentives, studio infrastructure and technology integration.
The session on ‘Content Explosion as the Driver of Tourism’, moderated by Ms. Shalini S Sharma, included Mr. Aashish Singh, Producer, Red Chillies Entertainment; Ms. Sunitha Ram, Producer, La Sutra Pictures; Mr. Syed Ahmad Afzal, Writer & Director; Mr. Shivam Gupta, Producer & Founder, Shivam Gupta Casting; and Ms. Barnali Ray Shukla, Writer, Filmmaker & Poet, focusing on OTT platforms and hyper local storytelling.
The session on ‘Promoting North East through the Camera’, moderated by Mr. Nitin Tej Ahuja, CEO, Producers Guild of India, featured Ms. Phira P. Lyngdoh, Information & Publicity Officer – Tourism, Government of Meghalaya; Ms. Sulakhyana Baruah, Actor & Producer; Mr. Shiladitya Bora, Filmmaker & Founder, Platoon One Films; and Mr. Sunilkumar Panda, Resort Manager, Mayfair Tea Resort Siliguri, highlighting the North East as India’s emerging cinematic frontier.
The Conclave concluded with a valedictory conversation titled ‘Stories that Make People Travel’, hosted by Mr. Prashant Shishodia, Consulting Senior Editor – Entertainment, NDTV, featuring Mr. Rahul Mittra, Filmmaker & Actor; Mr. Vipin Sharma, Actor; and Mr. Umesh Shukla, Writer & Director, who reflected on storytelling as an organic driver of tourism.
The Conclave was supported by Hilton, IRCTC, Mann Fleet Partners, ADTOI, FHRAI, IATO and TAAI, reinforcing strong industry commitment towards positioning India as a premier global film and film-tourism destination.