MUMBAI, May 18 (Xinhua) -- India has unveiled a scheme to incentivize shooting of foreign films and foreign co-productions with a view to unleashing the potential of domestic media and entertainment industry, the state-run Press Information Bureau said on Wednesday.
As part of the scheme, international film production companies can claim a reimbursement of up to 30 percent on qualifying expenditure in India subject to a maximum of 260,000 U.S. dollars, the bureau said in a statement.
Further, foreign films shooting in India can claim an additional 5 percent bonus up to a maximum of 65,000 U.S. dollars as additional reimbursement if they employ 15 percent or more manpower from India.
India has also been proactive in granting visa clearance to foreign filmmakers and their crew with 3-4 weeks compared to 5-6 months in the past, industry experts said. ■