Italy's government has designated India as its trade target for 2007. Speaking at a press conference earlier this month in Mumbai, minister for international trade Emma Bonino said: "We want to invite Indian film-makers to shoot in Italy. After all, we too have some of the most picturesque locales."

India has an official treaty with Italy, which covers co-productions. Forthcoming projects include Aditya Bhattacharya's $2.5m action movie-noir Bollywood Cop, backed by Rome's Istituto Luce, and Destiny Films' Sandokan In Sicily starring Kabir Bedi. Italian government and film representatives will visit March's Frames exhibition in Mumbai.

Switzerland, historically a popular destination for Bollywood shoots, is also attempting to draw Indian productions through an economic trade partnership, the draft of which could be ready by November. "Indo-Swiss trade has already crossed the $2bn mark and there is room for growth," says Dominique Dreyer, Swiss ambassador to India.

France already has a co-production treaty with India, but in the past seven years only three co-productions have been touted and none of them have received final approval yet from India. Despite this, the country played host last year to Bollywood productions including Shaad Ali's Dance Baby Dance and Farhan Akhtar's Don.

Meanwhile, in Canada a co-production treaty with India has been drafted and is awaiting approval from government.

And senior officials in New Zealand, which has hosted more than 100 Indian films, have been in talks with India about how their relationship can move forward.