South India’s creative industries are no longer emerging but leading, emphasised actress and Tamil Nadu BJP Vice President Khushbu Sundar.

At the inaugural of the Creative Economy Forum (CEF), South, which commenced on a grand note at Vizag Convention Centre in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, Khushbu Sundar stated that from cinema that breaks language barriers to music that travels from village festivals to global playlists-South India doesn’t just create content.

Bringing policymakers, industry leaders, creators and entrepreneurs onto a platform to exchange ideas and share best practices, the much-awaited Creative Economy Forum (CEF), South was hosted in a grand manner on January 31 (Saturday).

The avenue aided the industry leaders and policymakers to focus on the growing role of creative industries in India’s economic growth.

Organised by The Hans India in association with the Creative Economy Forum (CEF), the event was held at the Vizag Convention Centre with the collaboration of HMTV as the media partner.

The high-profile event saw the participation of Khushbu Sundar, actress and Tamil Nadu BJP Vice-President, as the guest of honour.

The forum aimed at exploring how creativity, technology and heritage can be transformed into scalable economic opportunities and included four sessions.

Minister for MSME Kondapalli Srinivas participated as guest of honour.

The first session focused on ‘Creative Tech Revolution: How AI, Gaming, Animation and Digital Media Are Redefining Growth’ and brought leaders from animation, film production, artificial intelligence and digital media, including Damodara Prasad, president of the Film Producer Council, and Meghana Tirumalasetty, co-founder of LBS Studio and Co-Chair of APVAGA.

The following session centred on ‘Handlooms to High Streets: Transforming Heritage into Scalable Businesses’ and threw insights into leveraging traditional crafts and design for modern markets, and it was marketed by Jameelya Akula in the presence of Chalapathi Rao and Dr. Narsimhugari Tej Lohit Reddy, Executive Director of FDDI-Hyderabad.

The session was hosted by the founder of the Creative Economy Forum Supriya Suri.

Addressing the financial backbone of creative sectors, the third session titled ‘Money, Markets and IP: Financing the Future of Films and Music’ featured producers, filmmakers and industry representatives discussing funding models, intellectual property and market dynamics.

Sridhar J. Swaminathan, Secretary of SIMCA, actress Cuckoo Parameswaran, and filmmaker Satya Reddy shared the dais for the session and discussed the topic in detail.

Through discussions on tourism, education and cultural exchange, the event highlighted the hospitality and culinary sectors. A dedicated session on ‘Culinary Crossing Borders: Cuisines Connecting Cultures’ included chefs, culinary educators and hospitality leaders to explore food as a cultural and economic bridge.

The Creative Economy Forum, South is envisioned as a platform to foster collaboration among government, industry and the creative community, positioning Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as emerging hubs for creative and cultural enterprises in India.

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