Indian film industry must go digital in 2011

With a $2 billion domestic film industry, and a population rivalling China, hit Bollywood movies need to go digital in order to embrace the technology trend.

Piracy has plagued Bollywood for years, and as DVD sales continue to be absorbed by copies and digital downloads there is no quick fix to the slide.

With classic Bollywood movies becoming less lucrative, cinema owners getting less revenue, where should the future strategy lie for the Indian film business?

Sify report : "Every year we expect changes, it's happening but slowly, according to people like me. It should have happened a bit more faster. We are not exploiting the market so it's high time we truly digitise our film industry," Haasan, chairman of the FICCI Media and Entertainment Business Conclave.

Will the future hit movies with stars like Aishwarya Rai and Bollywood legends Shah Rukh khan, Hrithik Roshan or Amitabh Bachchan get the all digital treatment?

What is the right 'digital' strategy for a movie release? Even Hollywood is experimenting with this. Paramount Studios will be releasing an Australian indie movie via BitTorrent as a way to boost DVD sales.

film industry network members