Creative Economy Ministry Strengthens Local Content for Global Markets with iQIYI
Jakarta — The Minister of Creative Economy and Head of the Creative Economy Agency (Ekraf), Teuku Riefky Harsya, is seeking to strengthen the development of local content across the film, animation, video and digital content sub-sectors to break into global markets by exploring collaboration with the Chinese entertainment platform iQIYI.
‘The Ministry of Creative Economy wants Indonesia to become a hub for growth of the creative economy, anchored in innovation, creativity and the strength of local stories. The pursuit of partnerships with global platforms such as iQIYI can open opportunities for Indonesian works to reach a broader audience while also strengthening the competitiveness of Indonesia’s creative industries,’ the Minister said in a formal statement received on Thursday.
The meeting with iQIYI discussed increasing talent capacity and distribution of creative works to a global level. The discussion also focused on opportunities for collaboration in developing quality content, accessing global markets, and potential partnerships in events such as the World Conference on Creative Economy (WCCE) 2026.
In this way, the role of the Ministry of Creative Economy could have a significant impact on the creation of quality jobs, sustainable growth of the creative industry, and strengthening Indonesia’s creative identity, potentially making the creative economy a pillar of national resilience.
‘The creative economy is the new engine of growth for Indonesia’s economy. Thus, the Ministry of Creative Economy is ready to explore cooperation that not only delivers investment but also knowledge transfer and improvements in storytelling quality based on local content through platforms like iQIYI,’ he said.
To strengthen market penetration in Indonesia, iQIYI has also entered into collaborations with several local companies such as Maxstream (Telkomsel) and Vision+ for the production of local content.
Senior Managing Director, Southeast Asia of iQIYI, Dinesh Ratnam, outlined commitments related to strengthening the expansion of entertainment audiences in Indonesia through the development of local content, production collaboration, and increased long-term investment in the creative industry.
‘We view Indonesia as a dynamic market with a large and loyal audience base and promising talent. We aim to serve as a bridge for cultural and industrial collaboration, delivering more local productions, opening opportunities for cooperation with Indonesian production houses, and supporting sustainable growth of the creative industry,’ Ratnam said.