Content India confirms its dates for the 2026 edition

Content India 2026 has officially confirmed its dates and opened registration for its inaugural three-day event, which will take place at the Taj Lands End hotel in Mumbai from March 16 to 18, 2026. The event sets out with a clear mission: to connect India’s dynamic domestic market with international partners in order to unlock billions of dollars in unrealised value across the entertainment and media sectors.

This announcement follows the recent signing of a landmark trade agreement between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The deal is expected to increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion (approximately US$34.22 billion) annually by 2040, creating fertile ground for enhanced collaboration across industries, including content and media.

Content India 2026 will feature a marketplace, a high-level conference, curated screenings, and structured networking sessions. The event builds on insights from The Future of the Indian Entertainment Business report, which was released following the first Content India Summit held in April 2025. The report outlined numerous opportunities for both domestic and international players to collaborate in content sales, acquisitions, co-productions, and creative services, marking a new era of cross-border partnership.

The event is anchored in 12 strategic ambitions aimed at transforming India’s role in the global content ecosystem. These include the creation of hybrid content that succeeds both locally and internationally, attracting international production to Indian locations, and showcasing India’s growing expertise in AI technology and post-production services. The summit also seeks to bridge the creator economy with legacy media, foster collaboration between brands and producers, and promote the exchange of international formats and shows between India and the global market.

Additional goals include establishing a ‘trusted partners network’ to enable new co-productions, connecting venture capital and innovative financing with content creators, and mapping global trends to help Indian producers and broadcasters act locally while thinking globally. The event will also host a pitch competition to spotlight promising Indian projects to an international audience, as well as speed networking sessions to directly connect local and global industry stakeholders.

David Jenkinson, editor-in-chief and managing director of C21, reflected on the momentum behind the initiative. He remarked that the April 2025 Content India Summit confirmed the significant potential for meaningful collaboration between the Indian and international content markets: “Content India 2026 will focus on how to build successful content partnerships that benefit all, and lead to a new form of programming that can work locally but also resonate as a hit on the world stage. Now is the time,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Manoj Dobhal, CEO and executive director of Dish TV India, also emphasized the transformative role India is now playing in the global content landscape. He observed that the 2025 summit demonstrated how India has evolved from an emerging market into a key driver of global entertainment:  “As we look ahead to Content India 2026, our ambition is to fuel opportunity and build a launchpad for talent from every corner of the country,” Dobhal said. He added that the future of entertainment will depend on effective collaboration, noting that Content India 2026 can serve as the critical link between ambition and access. “Its true significance lies in presenting India’s creative economy to the world while creating pathways for those aspiring to be part of it,” he concluded.

Content India 2026 is expected to host up to 1,000 key industry delegates, with a wide range of exhibition, screening, and sponsorship opportunities available for participants eager to engage with one of the world’s fastest-growing content markets.