In this Industry Spotlight conversation with Creative First, Umesh Bansal, Chief Business Officer at Zee Studios, spoke with Lohita Sujith, Sr. Director, Copyright & Digital Economy at the Motion Picture Association, about the cultural, economic, and strategic dimensions shaping India’s content industry today.

Umesh reflected on the role of Indian content as a form of soft power, emphasizing that storytelling extended far beyond revenue generation. He noted that films and series shaped how India was perceived globally, gradually moving the narrative away from outdated stereotypes toward a more nuanced representation of the country’s many realities. In his view, content captured who Indians were as a society—how emotions, values, and collective responses were expressed—making its cultural impact intangible yet deeply significant over time.

Discussing the balance between creative instinct and data in a data-driven environment, Umesh acknowledged the importance of analytics while reaffirming content as an inherently subjective art form. He believed the strongest outcomes emerged when creative conviction and intuition aligned with data insights. While data guided the majority of decisions, he noted that experimental and original work remained essential, forming the foundation for future trends and learnings.

He also addressed the role of policy in supporting the industry’s growth, highlighting the sector’s openness and its capacity to generate large-scale employment. He pointed to recent state and central government initiatives—such as infrastructure incentives and international co-production frameworks—as positive steps toward recognizing the industry’s importance. While policy support had improved, he stressed that areas like anti-piracy required stronger intervention, particularly for the theatrical business.

Reflecting on his tenure at Zee since 2016, Umesh Bansal described how the company’s creative and commercial strategies had evolved through periods of disruption and growth, from the OTT boom to the post-pandemic recalibration. He emphasized Zee’s consumer-first approach, noting that shifting viewing habits required constant adaptation in content strategy.

Looking ahead, Umesh highlighted regional cinema as a key area of growth for Zee Studios. Building on its strength in Hindi and Marathi, the studio aimed to expand across more regional languages while maintaining its core markets. He concluded by outlining Zee’s broader vision as an India-centric content company with global ambitions—focused on delivering the right content, at the right place, and at the right price, while taking Indian stories to audiences worldwide.