The Screenwriters Rights Association of India (SRAI), which represents screenwriters in India, attended the AVACI–FESAAL Annual Congress 2026 on October 20–21 at the Hyatt Regency Tokyo in Japan. The global conference brought together creators, authors’ societies, copyright management groups, and industry leaders from Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Africa. Discussions centered on recognizing writers’ rights, securing fair pay and royalties, and tackling new challenges created by artificial intelligence (AI), changing streaming platforms, and tracking authors whose work earns money across multiple media.
Representing India at the congress, SRAI Board Member Abhishek Jain and SRAI CEO Vinod Ranganath joined key discussions about the current state of rights and royalties for Indian creators, the main challenges in the industry, and ways to improve India’s legal setup for authors’ rights.
Speaking on a panel about government support for film and TV creation, Abhishek Jain highlighted India’s unique entertainment landscape, which is driven by its diverse languages and culture, with several regional film industries alongside the national market. He explained the various forms of support offered by India’s central and state governments, including production subsidies, single-window shooting clearances, skill training, infrastructure setup, and promoting filming locations through tourism policies.
Strongly backing the creator community, Abhishek Jain argued that these government support programs should be linked directly to recognizing writers’ rights and managing them effectively. He suggested that government-funded film projects would create long-term value for writers if they required clear contracts between producers and creators, proper credit for authors, and systemized royalty collection. He pointed out that this approach would directly connect public spending on film production to the financial security of the writers whose stories form the foundation of the industry.
SRAI CEO Vinod Ranganath presented the organization’s annual report and explained how SRAI plans to team up with foreign copyright management bodies through cross-border agreements. This will help Indian screenwriters get recognized and collect royalties when their content is watched in other countries. He added that closer coordination among the Indian government, state authorities, film studios, TV networks, and streaming platforms could build a more transparent and lasting system for authors’ rights.
International delegates showed great interest in the scale, diversity, and growth potential of India’s entertainment market, giving positive feedback on Abhishek Jain’s insights. The event created new opportunities for international cooperation to protect Indian screenwriters and build practical systems for collecting royalties across borders. The congress emphasized that copyright organizations worldwide must work together to handle common issues, especially as content streams globally and AI changes creative workflows, production, and authorship rules.
For SRAI, participating in this Tokyo congress marks a major milestone in boosting its international presence and securing better recognition for Indian screenwriters. By linking India’s growing entertainment industry with proper rights management, clear royalty tracking, and global partnerships, SRAI continues its effort to build a fair, healthy creative economy where writers are properly credited and paid.
