St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata (SXUK) took center stage in discussions on the future of regional cinema at MECON 2026, the premier Media and Entertainment Conclave held at the JW Marriott Hotel, Kolkata on November 12, 2026. 

Organized by the Bengal Film and Television Chamber of Commerce (BFTCC) and coordinated by Firdausul Hasan, President of the Film Federation of India, the day-long event brought together faculty members and students from SXUK’s Department of Mass Communication alongside state ministers, policymakers, educators, politicians and Tollywood and Bollywood veterans.

Invited as a guest and featured speaker, Rev. Dr. John Felix Raj, SJ, Vice-Chancellor of SXUK was felicitated on stage by Swapan Dasgupta, Finance Minister of West Bengal. Addressing the gathering on the economic and creative trajectory of Bengal's film and television sectors, Father Felix Raj emphasized the critical role of higher education in building a sustainable talent pipeline.

"There are a few notable academic institutions in West Bengal that have been catering to the need of making future media and entertainment professionals," Father Felix Raj said. "To increase this number, there must be more opportunities and proper training facilities provided to faculty members and students alike. Both St. Xavier’s University, Kolkata and St. Xavier’s College have been making their best efforts to equip media students to dive straight into the industry upon completing their degrees," he added.

Father Felix Raj further underscored SXUK’s commitment to aligning classroom learning with real-world industry demands. "We have a vibrant internship and placement cell for our students," he added. "Keeping in mind the need for industry-academia collaboration while drafting our course curriculum, our faculty members and placement cell officials are relentlessly working to offer better opportunities. In the last few years, our students have excelled as professionals across the media industries."

The conclave sparked candid dialogue on the structural challenges facing Bengali cinema. Delivering a sharp economic assessment, the FinMin noted that the Bengali film industry currently contributes only 2 to 3 percent to national sector revenues, trailing far behind the Telugu and Tamil industries, which average turnovers of ₹200 to ₹300 crore per film. Calling for an overhaul of the existing framework, Dasgupta stressed that the industry must be revitalized both culturally and economically, adding that "the soft power area needs to be depoliticized."

The event drew wide representation from across West Bengal’s political, administrative, and cultural leadership. Attendees included Industry, Commerce and Enterprises Minister Tapas Roy; Tourism and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shankar Ghosh; Minister of State for Information and Culture Purnima Chakraborty; and MLAs Rudranil Ghosh, Roopa Ganguly, and Kaustuv Bagchi. Fr. Dr. Dominic Savio, SJ, Principal of St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata, also participated in the proceedings.

For the attending SXUK Mass Communication students and faculty members, the conclave offered firsthand exposure to high-level policy debates and industry networking, wrapping up with a shared commitment to modernizing and rebuilding Bengal’s film and television ecosystem.

Dr. Somak Sen