The first Indian broadcaster to launch a production company in Canada has picked Vancouver as its home base.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited announced September 21 the new production company will be in charge of producing global content aimed at international markets and “mainstream audiences.”
The Vancouver office is being overseen by Subhadarshi Tripathy, senior vice-president of Zee Studios International, who spoke September 19 at the B.C.-India Partnership Summit.
“Co-owning IPs [intellectual properties] and then globally distributing it is one of the largest focus areas,” Tripathy told the Vancouver audience.
Tripathy, who is building a local team to support the Indian company’s B.C. operations, said Zee is looking to set up co-productions with Canadian content creators but one feature Vancouver is lacking is an abundance of writers.
“One of the first things that we’re doing up here is trying to set up an incubation centre where you can encourage children, youth, anybody who can come in and do storytelling,” he said.
Zee Studios International initially plans to develop content for TV and digital services based on either original formats or remakes of Indian programs.
The company said it will move into film production “at a later stage.”
