Local talent must be created to make J&K an attractive filmmaking destination: CM

Mumbai, Jan 15: In a significant move to revive cinematic activity in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday announced a formal collaboration with the Mumbai-based Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) to develop local film infrastructure and cultivate talent.
During a visit to the IICT campus at the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) complex here, CM Omar said the imperative of building in-house post-production capabilities and a skilled professional base within the Union Territory to draw filmmakers back to the valley.
“To re-establish Jammu and Kashmir as a premier filmmaking destination, we must develop local human talent and technical capacity,” stated CM Omar. “An institutional partnership with an entity like IICT is crucial for training our youth in vital aspects of production such as editing, sound, and lighting.”
The Chief Minister discussed potential student exchange initiatives and broader institutional cooperation. He expressed optimism that the IICT’s educational model—featuring a central campus in Mumbai and a network of satellite centres—could eventually be extended to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Establishing a satellite campus in J&K would lower production costs, generate employment, and provide our students access to training from a leading national institute in creative technologies,” he observed.
The IICT, which operates with support from the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Government of Maharashtra, functions as a national hub for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR). The proposed collaboration is designed to merge academic rigour with industry engagement, aiming to strengthen India’s creative economy.
Once a favoured shooting locale for Bollywood and other Indian film industries, Jammu and Kashmir saw a decline in filming activity over recent decades due to political instability and logistical hurdles. The government’s latest initiative marks a concerted effort to restore the Kahsmir’s cinematic prominence through strategic investments in education and infrastructure. (KNS)