Netflix Co-CEO Ted Sarandos met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Wednesday to announce a major new initiative aimed at developing creative talent across India. The Netflix India Storytelling Initiative represents a multi-phase investment designed to build the country’s workforce in emerging creative fields. The announcement builds on Netflix’s more than ten-year presence in India, during which the streaming platform has produced over 200 original projects filmed at more than 100 locations throughout the nation.
The initiative’s opening phase focuses on youth training through two key institutional partnerships. Netflix will collaborate with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies to develop educational programs in visual effects and media technology, while funding 100 scholarships for Indian students in specialized courses including animation, comics, and esports management. Additionally, the company is partnering with the National Film Development Corporation to train professionals in audio description and voice work, making entertainment more accessible to audiences with visual and hearing impairments while supporting the Prime Minister’s accessibility agenda.
Netflix framed the initiative as supporting India’s long-term goal of becoming a global storytelling hub. The company cited productions like the patriotic series “Operation Safed Sagar” as examples of Indian creative talent achieving international success. According to Sarandos, the program reflects Netflix’s commitment to strengthening India’s creative ecosystem and ensuring that emerging Indian storytellers can reach audiences worldwide during the company’s second decade operating in the country.
Originally reported by Variety →
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