‘Planet India’ Launches Before G20 to Showcase Climate Heroes

New Delhi : Planet India debuted in New Delhi, bringing together entertainment icons, top government officials, environmental and business leaders for a Gala screening to commemorate this climate-positive initiative inspired by India’s G20 presidency. Dia Mirza, a Planet India Advisory Council member and famous actress and UN ambassador, attended the event, as did worldwide celebrity, actor, and environmentalist Jackie Shroff, the face of This is Planet India. Guests were given an exclusive sneak peek of the Planet India film series, which will premiere on JioCinema and across social media on September 8th, and were introduced to some of the climate heroes whose stories inspired the campaign.

Planet India is a groundbreaking visual storytelling campaign that celebrates India’s answers to the climatic and environmental crises. Planet India celebrates and shares stories of how people and communities across India are driving climate and nature innovation, in collaboration with multi-award-winning filmmakers Studio Silverback, the team behind Sir David Attenborough’s A Life on Our Planet, and India’s leading creator economy platform Pluc.TV. From safeguarding snow leopards in Himachal Pradesh to rehabilitating city lakes in Bangladesh, planting trees in Assam, and providing sustainable energy to rural India, these extraordinary films will reveal never-before-seen tales of India’s reaction to climate and environmental change, and will inspire the globe.

Because of JioCinema’s massive reach, this campaign will be available to hundreds of millions of people throughout India. In a global first, Planet India will make this world-class film accessible to everyone for free on Open Planet, a fresh new worldwide open-source platform, therefore establishing an unmatched visual storytelling toolset that will enable anybody to contribute their Planet India tales. This will result in the creation of the world’s biggest and most powerful open archive of Indian climate and wildlife video. Leading content producers from around India have utilised this material to create their own unique Planet India tales, inviting their followers to join the debate online using the hashtag #PlanetIndia.

Planet India is made possible by its collaboration with DP World, an end-to-end supply chain solutions provider that enables global commerce.

Speaking at the event:

Mr Anurag Singh Thakur, Hon’ble Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports, India, said: “I’m glad that PlucTV and Studio Silverback have decided to make Planet India, which is a statement to the world of the unity, passion, and dedication among the people of this country — particularly showcasing how the young minds of India are at the forefront of the battle against climate change, and the protection of precious natural resources.”

Mr Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator for India said: “I want to thank the organisers of Planet India for this incredible opportunity to shine a light on India’s amazing biodiversity, and wealth in youth. These attributes set India apart, and we must celebrate them.”

Ms Dia Mirza, Actress, UN Ambassador and Member of Planet India Advisory Board, said: “I am so inspired and so excited, and this has just been such an honour and privilege to be associated with such an important campaign. Congratulations Planet India — thank you for existing and I’m very sure that many people from all over the world are going to be inspired by your work.”

Mr Jackie Shroff, Actor and Face of This is Planet India film said: “There are incredible stories of Indians leading the fight against climate change from the forefront and the world needs to hear about them. Planet India is a way for us to get inspired by these amazing innovators.”

Mr Tamseel Hussein, Founder and CEO, Pluc TV, said: “For the past year, the Planet India team has been going to every corner in the country and collecting some of the most amazing visuals of mangroves, lakes, and snow-capped mountains. And tonight, we will open source that footage for everyone in the world to be able to download and tell their own Planet India story.”

Mr Colin Butfield, Executive Director of Studio Silverback, said: “If we want to change how the world views nature, how the world tackles climate change, how we look after people, we have to change the story, and we also have to change the way we tell the story. Planet India is our attempt to do that.”

Mr Jason Knauf, Executive Producer, Planet India, said: “The world needs to see these inspiring stories of Indian solutions to global challenges.”