MUMBAI: In one conference room at the FICCI Frames 2015, big promoters of live events were expressing their discomfort about authorities not pushing the live scene in India, especially in Maharashtra. Simultaneously, there was another session- ‘Making Maharashtra the Global Destination for Media and Entertainment’ happening, in which the Govt. of Maharashtra tourism and culture secretary, Valsa Nair Singh, made an assuring statement in the favour of live promoters.

Singh said that the Government of Maharashtra is looking for single window clearances for live performances in the city (Mumbai).  She also expressed her concern that “big time entertainment companies are moving away from the city” and added that there are many reasons that make it difficult to get approvals. “We have to make the system cumbersome,” she said.

OML founder Vijay Nair, who was part of the other panel ‘The Live Events Round Up-Stuck where we were?’ at FICCI, when asked to comment on the statement made by Singh, said that at a platform like FICCI Frames, officials make such statement but nothing materialises. “We approached the Maharashtra Government but we have not got any response from them,” Nair revealed. When quizzed, if he would be keen on joining the team of experts who would help built policies for the live space, he said that he would be interested in helping authorities design the policies.

Nair and OML had recently been in the news for cancelling the Jerry Seinfeld, which was to take place in Mumbai, just hours before it could actually start. There were many theories surrounding the cancellation, one being a license issue faced by OML, which has been in business since 2002. Nair revealed he went to EEMA (Event and Entertainment Management Association) who approached various state level authorities not only in Maharashtra, but in Delhi as well. While the Delhi Government committed to a one window clearance within a few months, there has not yet been a response from the Maharashtra Government on the same.

Other than Mumbai, he is looking at venues like Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore to conduct events promoted by OML. During the session at FICCI, he had made remarks targeting the functioning of the entire system “is designed for corruption.” The whole issue is fixable if the authorities want, Nair stated.

Singh revealed her plans for live performances in a couple of lines, and also added that after the authorities set in motion the single window clearance for film shooting, which has been partly done for the hospitality sector, it will concentrate on the live space.