Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai presided over the foundation stone ceremony for Chitrotpala International Film City and Tribal & Cultural Convention Centre on Saturday, marking a significant infrastructure push for India‘s central state to position itself as a production destination.

The 95-acre first-phase development is being spearheaded by creator Tarun Rathi through Rajnandini Entertainment Ltd. and Indradeep Infra Ltd. The project is receiving support under the Special Assistance Scheme from India’s Ministry of Tourism, signaling central government backing for the facility positioned as the country’s first fully-equipped international film city.

Industry interest is already materializing, with early discussions reportedly exploring the venue as a potential shooting location for upcoming tentpoles including “Golmaal 5” and “Gadaar 3,” alongside other titles in pre-production stages.

The development extends beyond soundstages, incorporating exhibition and convention infrastructure through partnerships with India Exposition Mart Limited and the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts. IEML chair Rakesh Kumar and EPCH chair Neeraj Khanna are developing facilities including an exhibition center, convention hall, hotel, business showrooms and helipad, aimed at creating economic opportunities for local artisans and tribal communities.

Veteran filmmaker Anil Sharma (the “Gadar” franchise) attended the ceremony, lending industry credibility to the state’s filmmaking ambitions.

The state government is committing INR150 crore $16.3 million in the initial phase, with subsequent funding of INR250–300 crore ($27.2 million to $32.7 million) earmarked for later development stages from the developers.

“There has long been a demand from the people of the state for our own film city, which will help take stories from Chhattisgarh to global audiences,” Sai said at the event. “I am glad that the government is supporting this new world-class film city with INR150 crore in the first phase and INR250–300 crore in later phases. It should take us about two years to fully develop this dream project.”

Rathi emphasized the facility’s positioning as a turnkey production solution. “We are trying to support filmmakers with all possible equipment and a complete ecosystem so that producers and crews from Mumbai and across India can come to Raipur to shoot and execute everything seamlessly,” he said. “The accessibility and the shooting friendly environment will help the filmmakers from start to finish.”

The project represents Chhattisgarh’s bid to diversify India’s production geography beyond established hubs in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Chennai, while leveraging the development to boost local employment in creative industries and related sectors.