BHOPAL: Having already won the ‘Most Film Friendly State’ award multiple times, including in 2023 and 2024 - Madhya Pradesh has approved its dedicated Film Tourism Promotion Policy-2025.
As part of efforts to promote the state as the ideal film shooting destination in the country, the policy which was approved by the state cabinet on Tuesday, focuses on giving financial incentives to filmmakers for shooting films and related projects across the state.
The incentives include subsidies on shooting permits, accommodation and transportation costs. Additionally, film studios and post-production facilities will receive financial assistance for infrastructure development.   
To ensure speedy and timely single window clearance for permitting all kinds of film shootings, the clearance/permission process will be included under the Public Services Guarantee Act.
As part of efforts to promote the shooting of more films, TV serials, web series, short films and documentaries in the state, the new policy includes provisions of financial incentives in the form of subsidies and special financial assistance to filmmakers, particularly those working on film projects on child and youth development, women empowerment and promoting places of tourist, historical and religious importance in MP.
According to the state's urban development and housing, parliamentary affairs minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, “The new policy provides for subsidies/special financial grants ranging between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 crore, depending on the category and importance of the film project.”While up to Rs 15 lakh will be provided for short films, sum of up to Rs 40 lakh will be provided for documentaries, up to Rs 1 crore for television serials, up to Rs 1.5 crore for web series, up to Rs 2 crore for feature films and up to Rs 10 crore for international films.
However, the filmmakers will be entitled to financial benefits only if 75% of the entire shooting schedule is done in Madhya Pradesh only.
The policy provides for ten per cent additional assistance/grant if the concerned film project uses the local and regional languages of MP, including Baghelkhandi, Nimari, Gondi, Bhili and Korku. Further children, youth and women-centric cinema projects (particularly women and child education and empowerment projects) will also get similar ten per cent additional benefits.
Projects in other regional languages, including Marathi, Bengali and South Indian languages too will be provided ten per cent additional financial incentives.
Further special financial grants will be given for building single movie/screen theatres and the upgradation of existing theatres.
Importantly, Madhya Pradesh has won the ‘Most Film Friendly State’ award multiple times, including at the 68th and 69th National Film Awards in 2022 and 2023. More than 350 film projects have been shot successfully in the state over the last five years. Ten Hindi feature films, one Telugu movie, and four web series projects have been granted financial assistance of Rs 21 crore.
Investments to the tune of around Rs 700 crore have been made on film projects in the state over the last few years, resulting in the creation of over 1.25 lakh-plus temporary job days in the state.
The successful film projects shot in MP over the last few years, include Bhool Bhulaiyaa-3, Sixer, Love ki Arrange Marriage, Gullak, Dhadak, Stree-3, Panchayat, Kota Factory, Ponniyan Selvan, Auron Mein Kahan Dum Thaa, Dunki, Patna Shukla, Fukrey 3, The Railway Men, Lapata Ladies and Zara Hakte Zara Bachke.