Muscat: Oman is actively promoting the country’s diverse topography as an ideal location to shoot films, especially the burgeoning Indian film industry.

The Public Authority for Investment Promotion and Development (PAIPED) is looking to position Oman as a destination for big budget Bollywood film shoots and has invited a delegation of six Hindi film personalities to have a first-hand look at the potential Oman offers in terms of locations.

A delegation of directors, screen writers and producers from Mumbai visited Oman to see locations that would entice Bollywood filmmakers to come here and shoot their films as Hindi film audiences continue to crave new and exotic settings.

Indian directors and writers Sriram Raghavan, Sudhir Mishra, Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan and Ashwini Chaudhary, along with producer Amar Butala of UTV Motion Pictures, also held talks with PAIPED’s investment promotion team before being shown potential locations in Muscat, the interior as well as Al Batinah region respectively.

“We believe Oman’s versatility will appeal to Indian directors and screenwriters in search of new locations,” said Faris Al Farsi, PAIPED’s director general of Investment Promotion, in a press release.

“Just a two-hour flight from Mumbai, Oman offers spectacular deserts, pristine beaches, clear blue seas, wadis and even snow-capped mountain scenery,” he said.

He added that the Sultanate was a popular business destination for people from the Indian subcontinent and while the country’s relationship with Bollywood was in its infancy, several movies have already been partly filmed in Oman which in turn had helped raise Oman’s global profile.

The film industry is a proven method of promoting a destination with countries such as New Zealand, Turkey and Canada strengthening tourism through movie making. “Through film, people around the world will get to experience Oman’s stunning topography. That has to be good for the economy,” added Al Farsi.

Commenting on the successful visit, Gautam Roy, of V4 Entertainment, said: “Travelling from Mumbai to Muscat is cost-effective and more practical than reaching some locations within India. Oman offers unique scenery and year-round sunshine that eliminates the challenges of seasonality. These factors make it highly competitive.”

The film industry will also benefit local businesses through marketing, hospitality and product placement contracts.

The Indian media and entertainment industry is expected to grow by 11.8 per cent by the end of 2013 to be worth $17 billion (Dh62.42 billion), reaching over one billion people domestically as well as millions more through overseas syndication.

“By utilising this important medium of communication Oman could potentially reap significant rewards,” Al Farsi said.