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Netflix Contributes $1 Million to Producers Guild of India Relief Fund

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Streaming giant Netflix will donate $1 million to the Producers Guild of India (PGI) relief fund, the company announced Friday.

Set up in March by the PGI, the fund will provide emergency short-term relief to thousands of daily wage earners in the Indian creative community, who are now out of work due to the closure of all productions in the country due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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In addition, Netflix has also committed up to four weeks of pay for all core below-the-line crew who were scheduled to work on their productions in India.

Most of these crews are paid hourly wages and work on a project-to-project basis.

A Netflix spokesperson said: “We’re grateful to be working with the Producers Guild of India to support the hardest hit workers in TV and film production — from electricians to carpenters, hair and makeup artists to spot boys. Crews in India have always been vital to Netflix’s success and now we want to do our part and help those who most need support in these unprecedented times.”

Siddharth Roy Kapur, president of the Producers Guild of India, said: “In the past month with all productions grinding to a halt, thousands of daily wage earners associated with the Indian film and TV industry have seen their livelihoods disappear overnight.

“I am proud of and thankful to the entire fraternity for contributing to the fund we have created to support our colleagues at this difficult time. We value Netflix’s generous commitment to this fund and their resolve to help those who need our help the most.”

In March, Netflix had announced a $100-million fund to help with hardship in the creative community across the world.

Of this, $15 million was earmarked for third parties and non-profits providing emergency relief to out-of-work crew and cast in the countries where Netflix has a large production base. Netflix’s $1 million contribution to the PGI relief fund is part of this $15 million fund.

Netflix’s gesture comes at a time when India’s top creative talent and studios are contributing by various methods to help those affected by the pandemic.

On Friday, studio Yash Raj Films announced that they will financially support 3,000 out-of-work daily wage earners in the film industry. Also on Friday, Ekta Kapoor, head of prolific film, television and digital content producer Balaji telefilms said that she will not draw her annual salary of INR 25 million ($327,000), so that her co-workers do not have to take a financial hit.

On Thursday, Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan revealed a series of measures to help those affected, including a donation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s PM Cares coronavirus relief fund, providing personal protection equipment to healthcare workers, and supplying meals and groceries to thousands of families in need.

Last week, Bollywood star Akshay Kumar announced a donation of INR 250 million ($3.2 million) towards the PM Cares fund. Other actors who have made donations to the fund include Rajinikanth, Varun Dhawan, Prabhas, Randeep Hooda and Kartik Aryan.

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