GBS 2026: Namit Malhotra Feels PM Modi 'Uplifted' India's Profile In West - 'We Had No Real Presence In Hollywood'

Namit

Malhotra, the producer of India's biggest ever visual spectacle Ramayana, graced ET Now Global Business Summit 2026 with his presence. At the event, he spoke about how India was always perceived as 'victims' in Hollywood and how things changed for the better ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power. He also talked about what he wants to achieve with the Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Yash starrer mythological epic. He highlighted that Ramayana 'is the perfect story of our history that can be presented and shown to the world with pride'.

Namit Malhotra About PM Modi

Speaking to ET Now's Ayesha Faridi during the session on AI and filmmaking at the GBS 2026, Namit Malhotra highlighted that India's profile in the West has been uplifted to an extent because of PM Modi. He said, "I think in the last 10 years since 2014, since PM Modi really took charge, one of the things he did very specifically is really uplifting our profile in the west. And that has really helped put us at a point today where we are not looked upon in the same way were two decades ago when I started."

However, India has a long way to go. "But I still there is a lot more distance to travel. I personally represent a history that has over a hundred years of legacy and history but we have never really been able to make a mark on that side and this is where I feel it could be our moment to really put ourselves out there and do the best we can."

What Does Namit Malhotra Want To Achieve With Ramayana?

Namit Malhotra, Chairman and Global CEO of DNEG, said that Ramayana is not just a film for him. He believes it is the foundation of India's culture and history. He shared that he has spent the last twenty years trying to build a strong place for himself in Hollywood. During this journey, he realised that Indian stories and culture did not have proper representation on the global stage.He explained that Indians have done very well in fields like finance, technology and medicine across the world. However, when it came to Hollywood, he felt India did not have a strong presence. He said that there were very few films that truly showed India's history and cultural richness in a powerful and respectful way.

Namit also spoke about how India was often shown in Western films. He said that many times, India was presented as poor or struggling. Because of this, he decided to bring a story that shows India's true identity. He believes Ramayana is the perfect story to present India to the world with pride. Through this film, he hopes to change how India is seen globally.