With India gearing up to settle Free Trade Agreement talks with several countries across the globe with ambassadors and ministers visiting India recently, Bollywood seems to have gained prominence among few countries as a part of their bilateral talks with India.
“As several countries’ representatives are visiting India for trade talks and bilateral relation agreement talks, some of them have conducted events in Mumbai to request Bollywood filmmakers to come to their country for movie shoots. Chile and New Zealand representatives had meetings and events in Mumbai,” said an official from Ministry of External Affairs to Outlook Business.
He further said that representatives from Chile and New Zealand have specifically welcomed Bollywood film-makers to visit their countries as they believe that it will their economy. Both countries had held special events and meetings in Mumbai to encourage Bollywood filmmakers to explore fresh prospects for cross-border partnerships in the entertainment sector.
Chile’s President Boric visited India to deepen economic ties and also signalled intent for a comprehensive trade accord. Gabriel Boric Font of Chile concluded a five-day official visit to India on April 5, accompanied by a senior delegation comprising cabinet ministers, parliamentarians, senior bureaucrats and representatives from key business associations. During his visit, the President proposed welcoming India’s movie industry to Chile as a part of the ‘Shoot in Chile’ programme.
“We are working together to bring the potent audiovisual industry from India to our country through the ‘Shoot in Chile’ program, which we are going to present for film creation in Chile. What we also discussed in the meeting is the tremendous importance of what India has done with its Bollywood presence,” said Boric.
The visit marked a significant step towards strengthening bilateral economic relations, with both countries agreeing to initiate formal discussions on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). However, Chile is not the first country to engage with Bollywood as a part of its bilateral economic relations with India.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon during his visit to India for Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks held meetings with several veteran Bollywood actors and filmmakers in Mumbai. Luxon later mentioned in his social media post, “The film scene brings money into our economy which creates jobs and grows incomes – and I want to see more of that.”
After a decade-long hiatus, India and New Zealand have resumed FTA talks again in 2025, signalling renewed commitment to strengthening economic cooperation and unlocking new trade opportunities. After a prolonged period of limited engagement, both nations are now exploring pathways to deepen bilateral ties through a comprehensive and mutually beneficial agreement.
