CineNow Nears Closure of ₹1,350 Crore Fund to Boost Film Financing

Mumbai, June 15: CineNow Ltd, a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, is nearing the final closure of its ambitious ₹1,350 crore investment vehicle designed to support film and content production in India. The initiative has attracted significant interest from international investors and family offices seeking exposure to the country’s rapidly expanding entertainment sector.

According to founder director Rohit Dalmia, the majority of investor commitments for the six-year closed-ended fund have already been secured. The platform is positioning itself as a pioneering financial model that combines entertainment, technology, and investment management to unlock the commercial value of film intellectual property.

Dalmia said the company is developing a framework that converts cinematic intellectual property into a structured asset class capable of attracting institutional and private capital. Rather than concentrating investment on individual projects, the platform will provide exposure to a diversified portfolio of films, helping reduce risk while improving long-term return potential.

The fund’s structure is backed by contractual rights linked to multiple revenue streams, including digital streaming platforms, satellite broadcasting agreements, music licensing, and other ancillary income channels. This approach is intended to create a more predictable and professionally managed investment environment for participants.

“CineNow is building a bridge between creative industries and global financial markets,” Dalmia said, emphasizing the company’s vision of creating a disciplined ecosystem where investors can participate in the growth of India’s entertainment economy without depending on the success of a single film.

To strengthen its strategic leadership, the company has brought Oscar-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty onto its advisory council. Industry executive Abhay Sinha has also joined the initiative, adding expertise in film production and distribution.

Pookutty highlighted the need for a more systematic approach to financing cinematic content. He noted that traditional film funding mechanisms often lack the flexibility and financial planning required to maximize intellectual property value throughout its lifecycle.

The platform introduces a slate-based investment model that allocates capital across multiple projects while implementing phased deployment strategies. This method seeks to enhance capital efficiency and create opportunities for value realization at different stages of production and distribution.

A notable feature of the venture is its use of tokenisation technology within the entertainment financing ecosystem. Through this innovation, CineNow plans to improve transparency, liquidity, and accessibility for investors interested in participating in media assets.

The tokenisation framework is designed to connect conventional investment structures with emerging digital capital markets. By digitising participation rights, the company aims to widen investor access while maintaining ownership of intellectual property with content creators and production partners.

Industry observers believe that such technology-driven financing models could help address longstanding challenges in film funding, including limited access to institutional capital and dependence on informal financing channels.

The company has outlined plans to support more than 30 films and content properties across multiple languages and genres over the coming years. The objective is to build a scalable platform capable of financing diverse storytelling projects while generating sustainable returns for investors.

India’s entertainment and media sector has witnessed strong growth in recent years, driven by increasing digital consumption, expanding streaming audiences, and rising demand for regional-language content. As competition intensifies among production houses and streaming services, access to structured financing is becoming increasingly important.

By combining portfolio diversification, technology integration, and professional fund management, CineNow is seeking to establish a new model for entertainment financing in India. The company believes its approach can help create a more organized marketplace for creative assets while offering investors a unique opportunity to participate in the growth of one of the world’s largest film industries.

With the fund approaching its final close, CineNow is positioning itself at the forefront of a broader shift toward institutionalized investment in entertainment content, potentially reshaping how films are financed and monetized in the years ahead.