- Why in news
- On 22 September 2026, PIB published a explainer on the India Cine Hub, the NFDC-run single-window portal for film shooting permits, film visas and co-production applications, now extending to live event permissions.
- What it is
- The India Cine Hub (ICH) is a digital single-window portal for film shooting permissions across India. It is run by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. It links state systems, central ministries and nodal officers so that domestic and foreign creators deal with one platform.
- Operator
- The portal is managed by NFDC, a Government of India organisation set up to promote the Indian film industry.
- NFDC origin
- NFDC was established in 1975. It later absorbed the Film Finance Corporation and the Indian Motion Picture Export Corporation.
- Film Bazaar
- NFDC hosts Film Bazaar India, a South Asian co-production and distribution market, alongside IFFI in Goa.
- Features
- ICH offers a common application form for states without online processing, helps foreigners get a Film Visa, and processes co-production applications.
- Live events
- The platform is expanding to live event permissions, serving as digital infrastructure for the Live Events Development Cell, with 9 venues onboarded.
- Sector size
- The film, TV and online content sector earned USD 13.1 billion in FY2024.
Don’t confuse with NFDC vs Films Division: NFDC is the parent body today; the Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archive and Children's Film Society were merged into it after a 2020 mandate.
Don’t confuse with Mumbai Film City vs Ramoji Film City: Mumbai Film City (Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari) was set up by the Maharashtra government in 1977; Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad was set up by a private group in 1996.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Single window cuts multi-state permit delays and supports ease of doing business in services.
- Promotes film tourism and local employment by showcasing state locations.
Problems
- States have varied rules, fees and incentives, so full integration is hard.
- Uneven digital capacity in states and data security for a large portal.
Way forward
- Get all states and Union Territories to process permits fully online on the portal with time-bound approvals.
- Publish dashboard data on approval times to improve accountability.
Put in your answer
Internet reach: Internet subscribers rose from 25.15 crore in 2014 to over 109.2 crore by March 2026.
No close past question yet.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: A single-window portal run by NFDC is a lasting topic, but facts are thin for a statement; schemes mostly test features, though this is a portal.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.