Rs 1.5 cr corporate sponsors for IFFI
PTI, PANAJI | 17 November 2010 23:12 IST
Amidst escalated budgets, organisers of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) have found some relief in corporate sponsors, who have shown encouraging response for the current edition.
Corporates like HDFC, UB group, Qatar Airways, Lalit Suri Group of Hotels and HDFC Bank have pitched in with sponsorship deals for the ten-day festival.
"We expect sponsorships to the tune of Rs 1.5 crore this time as against Rs 1.25 crore last year," Entertainment Society of Goa''s Chief Executive Officer Manoj Srivastava told reporters today.
The festival this time is budgeted at Rs 7.35 crores as against the last year''s Rs 6.39 crores, he said.
Srivastava said there are 16 major sponsors for the festival and attempts are on to ensure that the festival is run on its own without asking for any budgetary assistance from the state government.
United Breweries Group Vice President Govind Tiwari said that the group airline, Kingfisher, will fly domestic delegates for the festival.
"It helps us in branding our airlines. Also, we are the market leaders in Goa for breweries so this comes as a part of our social commitment," Tiwari said.
Kingfisher will be setting a lounge at the festival venue along with other corporates like Qatar Airways.
The Vijay Mallya-promoted Airlines will also cover IFFI in their in-flight magazines and also advertise the festival in their in-flight broadcast. .
Why is crores of tax payer's money spent on events like IFFI? What is the revenue earned by the State in return for spending such huge amount from the tax payer's kitty?
Is it to project Goa in the real estate market or for promoting liquor/drugs/sex/tourism?
A scientific evaluation about the loss/gain to the State because of hosting IFFI-would help dispel the doubts from the mind of the common man!