The Indian broadcast industry can add Rs 20,000 crore (Rs 200 billion) to its turnover if piracy is stopped said Subhash Chandra, the chairman of the Essel group, who pioneered the satellite TV revolution in India by launching the first private sector channel Zee.

He was speaking at Ficci-Frames 2004, the annual convention of the Indian entertainment industry. Chandra said India lost Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion) on account of piracy in just Pakistan and Malaysia.

Recalling the early days of the satellite TV revolution in the country, Chandra said in 1995-96 he had a hard time convincing a joint parliamentary committee that the Indian broadcast industry will grow to around Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 1,000 billion) by 2000 against the then turnover of Rs 1,500 crore (Rs 15 billion).

Chandra also pointed out that about 8 per cent of the content in Hollywood was sourced from China in the form of Jackie Chan acting in their movies, scripts, story line. At present India did not figure in this. "However this will change and soon you will see Indo-US co-productions," he said.

He pointed out that the votary of free trade, the US did not permit Indian firms to broadcast directly and only through tie-ups.

The broadcasting scenario in India was owing to the advent of broadband and the launch of direct-to-home television. Cable operators he said will be forced to digital.