Nomura to invest $16 mn in Chennai's Real Image

Mumbai, Aug 2 (IANS) Hong Kong-based Nomura Investment Bank will invest $16 million in the Chennai-based Real Image Media Technologies Pvt Ltd, the latter said here in a statement.

'Our investment in Real Image demonstrates our commitment to India. Our aim is to build up our merchant banking business across Asia by providing financial support to companies which have strong prospects for growth,' Yoshiki Hashimoto, Nomura's Asia head, said in the statement.

Real Image, a leading provider of technologies to India's film, video and audio market, has revolutionised the country's digitally-provided entertainment and advertising industry.

The company also has operations across North America, Europe and other parts of Asia.

Real Image had earlier introduced Avid, Digidesign, DTS and Orad technologies which changed the face of sound and picture quality of Indian movies.

According to Senthil Kumar, director of Real Image, the digital cinema, which has already proved to be an effective tool against piracy, will get a further boost in India after 3D cinema is introduced.

'In India, we have already seen more than 15 percent conversion of theatres (a little over 10,000) into digital. But we have not seen 3D wave as yet. But it will come,' he said.