Skip to content
GK24

India Cine Hub: NFDC's Single-Window Portal for Film Shooting Permits

India Cine Hub, run by the National Film Development Corporation, is a single-window digital portal for film-shooting permits, film visas and co-production applications.

By Published · 2 min read
India Cine Hub: NFDC's Single-Window Portal for Film Shooting Permits

Why in News

On 22 September 2026 PIB published a backgrounder on the India Cine Hub, the NFDC-run single-window portal for film-shooting permits, as the Government pushes India as a filming destination.

The India Cine Hub (ICH) is a single-window digital portal that lets Indian and foreign filmmakers apply for shooting permits, film visas and co-production approvals in one place. It is run by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. A PIB backgrounder on 22 September 2026 explains how it works and why it matters.

The problem it solves

Shooting a film across India once meant separate applications to each State, police clearances and permissions from forest, monument or aviation authorities. The ICH pulls these into one central system, integrating State-level portals and providing a common form for States that have no online process. The aim is ease of doing business and making India a preferred filming destination.

What the portal offers

  • One application window for domestic and international creators seeking filming permission.
  • Help for foreign crews in obtaining a Film Visa.
  • Processing of co-production applications under India's treaties, with guidelines.
  • Guidance on aerial filming, filming with animals, and shooting in forests and at monuments.
  • A GIS-based directory of locations, permit authorities and India's filming hubs.
  • An extension to live event permissions as the digital backbone of the Live Events Development Cell, with 9 premier venues already onboarded.

Why filming in India matters

India's film, television and online content sector earned USD 13.1 billion in FY 2024, up 18 per cent since 2019, and is expected to reach about USD 17.5–19.7 billion by FY 2029. The country's production hubs employ over 1.6 lakh people, with three established film cities: Film City, Mumbai (Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, set up in 1977 and renamed in 2001), Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad (1996, certified by Guinness World Records as the world's largest film studio complex) and Noida Film City.

About NFDC

Established in 1975 to promote Indian cinema, NFDC has over time absorbed the Film Finance Corporation, the Indian Motion Picture Export Corporation and, after a 2020 government decision, the Films Division, the Directorate of Film Festivals, the National Film Archive of India and the Children's Film Society. It co-produces films, provides line production for foreign shoots, and hosts Film Bazaar alongside the International Film Festival of India in Goa.

Important Facts

PortalIndia Cine Hub (ICH)
Run byNational Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Ministry of I&B
PurposeSingle window for film-shooting permits, film visas, co-production applications
Also coversLive event permissions; 9 premier venues onboarded
Content sector revenueUSD 13.1 billion in FY 2024; USD 17.5–19.7 billion expected by FY 2029
NFDC established1975
Merged into NFDC after 2020Films Division, Directorate of Film Festivals, National Film Archive of India, Children's Film Society
Film citiesFilm City Mumbai (1977), Ramoji Film City Hyderabad (1996), Noida Film City
Film BazaarNFDC's co-production market held with IFFI, Goa

Exam Point of View

Likely questions: what India Cine Hub is (single-window portal for film permits), who runs it (NFDC, under the I&B Ministry), when NFDC was set up (1975), which bodies merged into it (Films Division, NFAI, Directorate of Film Festivals, Children's Film Society), and the film cities (Mumbai, Ramoji Hyderabad, Noida).

Practice Questions

Q1.NationalEasy

The India Cine Hub, a single-window portal for film-shooting permits, is managed by which organisation?

  1. A.Central Board of Film Certification
  2. B.National Film Development Corporation
  3. C.Film and Television Institute of India
  4. D.Prasar Bharati
Show answer

Correct answer: B. National Film Development Corporation

Explanation

The correct answer is National Film Development Corporation. NFDC, which works under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, runs the India Cine Hub as a digital single-window portal where domestic and international creators apply for filming permissions, film visas and co-production approvals. The portal integrates State-level systems, provides a common form for States without online processing, and offers a GIS-based directory of locations and permit authorities.

The other bodies have different jobs, which is how the question tests you. The Central Board of Film Certification certifies films for public exhibition. The Film and Television Institute of India in Pune trains filmmakers. Prasar Bharati is the public broadcaster that runs Doordarshan and All India Radio. NFDC, set up in 1975 to promote Indian cinema, also co-produces films and hosts Film Bazaar with the International Film Festival of India in Goa.

Q2.NationalMedium

Which film city is certified by Guinness World Records as the world's largest film studio complex?

  1. A.Film City, Mumbai
  2. B.Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad
  3. C.Noida Film City
  4. D.Prayag Film City, Kolkata
Show answer

Correct answer: B. Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad

Explanation

The correct answer is Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad. Set up by the Ramoji Group in 1996, it is certified by Guinness World Records as the world's largest film studio complex and is also described as the world's largest integrated film city and India's only thematic holiday destination built around filmmaking. The PIB backgrounder on the India Cine Hub lists it as one of India's three established film cities.

Film City in Mumbai's Goregaon is the tempting alternative: it is one of the largest studio complexes in the world, covering more than 520 acres with about 42 outdoor locations, was set up in 1977 and renamed Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in 2001, but it does not hold the Guinness record. Noida Film City is the third established hub, and the Kolkata option is a distractor. India's production hubs together employ over 1.6 lakh people.

Q3.NationalMedium

India's film, television and online content sector generated revenue of about how much in the financial year 2024, according to the backgrounder?

  1. A.USD 5.2 billion
  2. B.USD 13.1 billion
  3. C.USD 19.7 billion
  4. D.USD 25 billion
Show answer

Correct answer: B. USD 13.1 billion

Explanation

The correct answer is USD 13.1 billion. The backgrounder says the film, television and online content sector generated USD 13.1 billion in revenue in the financial year 2024, up 18 per cent since 2019, and is expected to keep growing at 6 to 10 per cent a year to reach about USD 17.5 to 19.7 billion by the financial year 2029. A young population, a fast-expanding 5G network and cheap data are driving the growth.

USD 19.7 billion is the trap: it is the upper end of the projection for 2029, not the figure for 2024. The other two are distractors. The growth is why the Government is streamlining shooting permits through the India Cine Hub and why the National Film Awards are being paired with tourism: film and content are being treated as an industry that brings investment, jobs and visitors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the India Cine Hub?

A single-window digital portal run by the National Film Development Corporation that lets Indian and foreign filmmakers apply for shooting permits, film visas and co-production approvals across India, with a GIS-based directory of locations and permit authorities.

Which organisation runs the India Cine Hub?

The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), established in 1975 under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, which also hosts Film Bazaar alongside the International Film Festival of India in Goa.

Sources