India Entertainment

According to the Information and Broadcasting Ministry of India, foreign direct investment (FDI) into the Indian entertainment sector amounted to $215 million in the nine months from March to December 2007, compared with a mere $44 million 2006. The previous highest year for FDI was 2000-01 with $81.5 million. In recent months, Western entertainment conglomerates have been very active in this area, including Disney's enlarged stake in UTV Software Communications, Viacom's co-investment with the TV 18 Group, Turner Entertainment's commitment to a joint venture with Alva Bros, and most recently NBC Universal's stake in NDTV. (VarietyAsiaOnline.com, 3/14/08)