India Cine Hub (ICH), a single-window clearance portal, attempts to bring this entire chain under one umbrella and provide a platform for coordination between the Centre and the states.

Operated by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) and managed by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), the portal is particularly beneficial to foreign productions. It has now been extended to domestic filmmakers.

It is also not limited to cinema. The Centre has linked it with the Live Events Development Cell (LEDC). This means permissions from the police, fire department, and municipal corporations for global music concerts, cultural festivals and large-scale shows can also be processed through a single portal, making the approval process faster and more streamlined.

Cutting Through Permissions

Earlier, MIB used to grant national filming permission while location-specific approvals came from states or union territories and local authorities. 

Foreign producers were required to apply before their shooting schedule and submit relevant details, including the script and other information.

The Film Facilitation Office (FFO) was set up in 2015. In 2019, its mandate was expanded to provide single-window facilitation for Indian filmmakers. The idea got a digital avatar in the ICH in 2025. 

ICH brings the Central stakeholder departments – like the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and the Airports Authority of India – and state/union territory nodal officers into one coordinated digital ecosystem. 

The objective of ICH is to reduce procedural friction by providing a single digital interface for applications, coordination and tracking, rather than requiring filmmakers to navigate multiple systems independently.

The Government has set a processing benchmark of up to three weeks after receipt of complete documents under the present framework. However, the actual timeline may vary depending on the nature of the production, the location etc

GIS-Based Asset Directory

One of the biggest strengths of the portal is its new Geographic Information System-Based Asset Directory.

Now, whenever an international or domestic production house seeks permission to shoot at a particular location in India, the portal will give a complete list of government-verified local vendors operating in that area.

The Filmic and Non-Filmic Resource Directory provides filmmakers a structured digital database. This can make it easier for international productions to connect with India's existing creative and production ecosystem.

Cultural Interactions

ICH makes India's local production ecosystem more discoverable and digitally accessible. 

International productions have traditionally worked with local caterers, technicians, transport providers, hotels, location managers, equipment suppliers and other vendors. 

When foreign directors and actors work alongside people in Indian villages, an unusual cultural crossover takes place at the grassroots. Despite language barriers, conversations often happen through gestures; foreign crews sample local cuisine; and local artists get an international platform.

A senior official of the Gujarat Tourism Department told The Secretariat, “Filmmaking is not merely a medium of storytelling but also has the ability to place destinations on the global tourism map.” 

The official said Gujarat wants to use state locations featured in films to reach potential tourists in India and abroad. 

The official also highlighted Gujarat's Cinematic Tourism Policy 2022-27, which seeks to attract more film productions to the state while linking film shooting with tourism development. 

ICH also provides digital tracking of international filming applications and approvals. 

Within the first six years of its existence, the FFO facilitated 120 international filmmakers from 27 countries to shoot in India. 

Live Events

The objective of the Live Events Development Cell (LEDC) is to make India a global hub for live events by 2030 and create an additional 1.5 to 2 crore jobs in the sector, Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, said at the May 2026 LEDC meeting.  

The sector is estimated to grow at around 10% annually, reaching ₹19,600 crore by 2028.

Kumar said the Centre and state governments would provide all necessary facilities and support for live events so that the approval process could become stronger and more transparent.

Pruthul Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, has said ICH is a one-stop destination for film shooting in India. It is integrated with the Film Facilitation Portals of various states.

If adopted by states, ICH could help digitise the approval process for live events, making approvals more timely, transparent, and efficient.

The broader objective is to create a common digital architecture through which permissions for live events can be coordinated more efficiently across jurisdictions.