FDI in India’s I&B Sector Reaches Rs 4,786 Cr in First Nine Months of FY25

India’s information and broadcasting sector, including print media, attracted ₹4,786 crore in foreign direct investment (FDI) during the first nine months of the 2024-25 fiscal, according to the latest data from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

In the third quarter alone, the sector received ₹1,264 crore in FDI, with Walt Disney’s ₹1,008 crore investment in Star India emerging as the largest under the Reserve Bank of India’s automatic route. The investment was made through Star US Holdings Subsidiary LLC.

Disney’s total investment in Star India over the nine-month period stood at ₹3,847 crore, including ₹2,839 crore infused in the first quarter. Previously fully owned by Disney, Star India has now merged with Viacom18 to form JioStar, where Reliance Industries holds a majority stake, while Disney retains a significant minority share.

Apart from Star India, IVY Entertainment secured ₹177 crore in FDI from UAE-based IVY Entertainment Holdings through the automatic route during the third quarter.

Other significant foreign investments in the sector included approximately ₹1,100 crore received by Prime Focus Technologies and Pocket FM in the second quarter. Prime Focus Technologies, a media tech firm specializing in AI-powered solutions, raised ₹742 crore from its Luxembourg-based holding company, DNEG S.a.r.l. Meanwhile, audio entertainment platform Pocket FM secured ₹387 crore in FDI from its US-based entity, Pocket FM Corp.

In the first quarter of the fiscal, Warner Music India received ₹136 crore from its parent company, WEA International Inc. Additionally, Irelia Company, owned by CVC Capital Partners, invested ₹287 crore in Irelia Sports India, which owns the IPL franchise Gujarat Titans.

In comparison, the sector had attracted ₹6,390 crore in FDI during the first nine months of the previous fiscal. The largest investment then was ₹4,306 crore from BTS Investment 1 Pte Ltd into Viacom18 as part of a ₹15,145 crore funding deal.