First 'digital entertainment city' soon in Hyderabad

How would you respond if all the indispensable facilities were provided you in a single room? Obviously… amazing. The same thing is going to happen in reality soon in the field of entertainment. No don’t think it a mere hypothesis. If still you do think it is a dream, very soon going to be a realistic one in near future.

Although in an embryonic form, the Digital Entertainment City (DEC) will be constructed in Hyderabad based on public-private partnership.

The State government is considering to establish the country’s first digital entertainment city equipped with animation companies, film production houses, music and TV studios, training academies and an entertainment complex following the Dubai Entertainment city.

So it seems that state government has made up its mind to take a leap forward in making Hyderabad the hitec digital entertainment city with gaming firms and production houses.

The DEC will be established in association with FX Labs, Suresh Productions, Gemini TV and DQ Entertainment. A special purpose vehicle, Digital Entertainment City Task Force (DECTF) will manage the project instead of unconventional model of the government developing the entire infrastructure and managing it.

"All these facilities will come up on a single campus. This will be for the first time a hub for entertainment being created particularly on the PPP model," P S Murthy, joint director IT&C department, said.

The Andhra Pradesh government, in collaboration with a conglomeration of business/commercial establishments in the state, is considering the country's first 'Digital Entertainment City', to be located in the capital of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad.

"The DEC will facilitate the development and establishment of world class infrastructure to encourage the growth of the animation, gaming, television, film, multimedia, radio, music and new media industries in the state capital," IT secretary S K Joshi said.

He further said that the Government would allot 100 to 200 acres of land. Besides, several media houses, film production companies, animation and gaming companies within and outside India were being contacted.

Mr. Chakravarthy of DQ Entertainment said: “Indian animation and gaming industry is growing over 34.8 per cent CAGR and is expected to cross US $ 1.3 billion by 2010. This initiative by the State Government will not only generate tremendous revenues but sizeable employment. We are happy to be part of it.”

The project is expectedly to be commenced in June and the first phase scheduled to be completed by December this year.