Prime Focus to invest ₹3,000 crore for 200-acre 'film city' in Mumbai

Hindustan Times

02-05-2025

Prime Focus on Friday announced a ₹3,000 crore investment to set up a 'film city', housing an entire ecosystem related to entertainment. The BSE-listed entertainment company signed a memorandum of understanding with the Maharashtra government to create the facility, which has the potential to create up to 2,500 jobs, on the sidelines of the ongoing WAVES 2025 event in Mumbai.
The group plans to invest ₹3000 crore in this project, with an aim of creating thousands of skilled jobs and attracting tourists and content creators from around the world.
The announcement was met with enthusiasm from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who framed the initiative as part of the state's broader infrastructure push. 'Growth, infrastructure development, and a sustainable future are all vital,' he said, adding the project would complement existing mega-developments like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train and Vadhvan Port.
'Growth, infrastructure development, and a sustainable future are all vital to the development of Maharashtra. As we continue to lead the way in massive infrastructure projects — including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train, the coastal road, and the Vadhvan Port — I am glad to add the creation of this next-generation entertainment hub to the list of projects that are transforming our state, keeping us at the forefront of India's growth and development," he said.
CM added, "I look forward to working with Prime Focus and DNEG to create a world-class production and tourism destination, securing Mumbai's position as a filmmaking and entertainment centre of excellence.'
• High-tech production studios with strong digital infrastructure for top-quality content creation
• Live entertainment venues, theme parks, and interactive experience centres
• Lifestyle and leisure spaces such as shopping areas, restaurants, hotels, and residential spaces
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Prime Focus, founded in 1997 by Namit Malhotra, is the parent company of several top businesses including DNEG (which has won eight Oscars for visual effects), the AI tech company BRAHMA, and Prime Focus Studios, which handles production and financing. The company already owns one of Asia's biggest studio spaces in Mumbai, with eight Hollywood-style soundstages and top-level post-production facilities.
The proposed hub is nothing if not ambitious: a next-generation space boasting high-tech production studios, live entertainment venues, interactive experience centres, and a range of leisure options including restaurants, hotels, and residential units. In essence, a self-contained entertainment city within Mumbai - India's film capital and long-standing home to the Bollywood machine.
Malhotra cast the development as a patriotic and strategic project. 'We are not just developing the world's foremost content creation centre; we are creating a destination that presents India's culture, our history, and our capabilities to the world,' he said. His remarks were steeped in legacy talk — honoring more than a century of Indian cinema while pitching the venture as a model of innovation and soft power.
If all goes to plan, the site could become a magnet for content creators, tech innovators, tourists, and global investors.
The project is expected to begin soon and will play a big role in making Mumbai a global hub for media, entertainment, and tourism.