Mumbai is the media and entertainment capital of India. It has been a magnet for all those who dream to shine in the silver screen for more than a hundred years. The industry, famously known as Bollywood has produced some of the finest actors, directors and technicians in India and has set its eyes to be the leading media and entertainment center in the world. The sector has been growing faster than the growth rate of Indian economy and has become an unofficial diplomatic outpost of India projecting its massive soft power in hundreds of countries around the world.
Late Shri Dadasaheb Phalke, the doyen of the Indian cinema industry studied in prestigious J J School of Arts, affiliated to University of Mumbai. Since then, the leading names in every generation of Bollywood, at some point of time in their lives, have had the fortune of studying in this University. Despite this, if one looks at the thousands of skilled individuals, who have served as backbone of Bollywood, have always had to toil to reach the level proficiency in their respective disciplines, only with the help of hands-on exposure without an academic recognition. Hence it is unfortunate that for most part of its journey so far, Bollywood has been an un-organised industry without any formal academic institutional support to skill the tens of thousands of people it employs in various technical fields.
In the recent years, the media and entertainment industry has undergone a metamorphosis.  Global production houses are infusing technology and investments in the industry to make films and content for global audience. Mobile and internet revolution has changed the industry inside out. The industry has become more professional and technology savvy. Therefore there is a need, more than ever to create educational and skilling institutes to train the workforce in the industry.
It is a proud moment for us that the Ramesh Sippy Academy of Cinema and Entertainment has partnered with the Garware Institute of Career Education and Development to launch various academic programmes in Film and Entertainment from the forthcoming academic year. I am sure that it will benefit our students and will contribute in creating a suitably skilled workforce to make Mumbai a world leader in the entertainment industry.
My best wishes to both, the Ramesh Sippy Academy of Cinema and Entertainment and the Garware Institute of Career Education and Development for this timely endeavour.
Prof. Dr. Sanjay Deshmukh
Vice-Chancellor
University of Mumbai
