Event Coverage
Govt needs to give more attention to animation & VFX industry
MUMBAI: Makers of animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC) today regretted that the central or state governments had done very little to help the industry which could prove to be a major foreign exchange earner for the country.
Speaking at a session on ‘Government Intervention and initiatives for AVGC industry,’ the makers said that the government could give a start by giving greater importance to art and animation in the education system and giving a tax holiday to this industry for at least ten years.
Apart from three persons involved in the making of AVGC, the participants included West Bengal Information Minister Debesh Das who said his government was working to produce a talent pool and resource. For this purpose, the government was planning training centres.
Emphasizing that the Government’s aim was to facilitate and not make money, Dr Das said there were also plans to put AVGC industries in the Special Economic Zones. However, he indicated that few entrepreneurs had come forward to set up industries in this field.
Balkrishna Maddur, who is President of the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI), said the state government had responded very positively to suggestions made by ABAI to developing the industry in Karnataka. The state government had even offered land for an AVGC Park, and help to establish a finishing school for graduates in AVGC. In addition, a proposal for setting up post-production facilities in Karnataka had also been accepted.
To get greater inputs, he said a summit of creators of AVGC had been organised on 23 April which will also see the participation of the state government. A demand will be made to put AVGC in SEC and give incubation facility for a PPP model.
Shambhoo Phalke who had earlier worked on a project under which an animation film ‘Legend of Buddha’ was made for Singapore said that it was the Indian government that was sensitive to people, sensitive to culture, and also sensitive to business but had still not taken any tangible step to help the AVGC industry.
Relating his experience about working with Singapore, he said the government of that nation had set up training institutions soon after the completion of the project which had cost $ 6 million in 1995.
He said seven animation television channels were being beamed into India but none of them had local content despite the fact that Indian mythology and culture was full of good stories. He therefore emphasized that content production had to be increased.
Big Animation CEO Ashish Kulkarni said the mindset of the government has to change towards AVGC and stressed the need for more recognised training institutions and a tax holiday for this industry which was still at a nascent stage.
Event Coverage
Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026
MUMBAI: Riding high on the success of its blockbuster Mumbai debut, Anime India is accelerating its nationwide expansion with the announcement of Amazon MX Player as the co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata. The partnership marks a significant step forward in the festival’s mission to deliver large-scale, accessible, and fan-first anime experiences across the country.
Scheduled for 14 and 15 February 2026 at the iconic Biswa Bangla Mela Prangan, Anime India Kolkata will launch the first regional chapter of what is set to be a year-long, multi-city tour. As the curtain-raiser for the 2026 circuit, the Kolkata edition aims to fuse the energy of global Japanese pop culture with India’s fast-growing community of anime, manga, and pop-culture fans.
A household name in digital entertainment, Amazon MX Player brings unmatched reach and cultural relevance to the Anime India platform. With its expanding focus on anime and youth-driven content, Amazon MX Player’s involvement as co-presenting partner reinforces Anime India’s vision of making anime culture more inclusive breaking barriers of language, geography, and accessibility to connect with fans nationwide.
Anime India Kolkata 2026 will showcase cosplay competitions, interactive zones led by the Indian Gunpla Community, India-39 Vocaloid Community, The Japan Curry, and Adda-o-Otaku by The Otaku Guild. Fans can join tournaments across fighting games, Pokémon VGC, and more. Acclaimed Japanese director Susumu Mitsunaka (Haikyu!!) will attend as guest of honour, appearing in panels and live sessions. Positioned as an immersive celebration of fan culture and industry collaboration, the Kolkata edition marks the beginning of Anime India’s nationwide expansion.
Sharing their perspective on the partnership, Amazon MX Player director Aruna Daryanani expressed, “Anime in India has evolved from a niche interest into a mainstream cultural movement, driven by an increasingly engaged and passionate fanbase. At Amazon MX Player, our focus is on expanding access by bringing anime to audiences across the country for free and in multiple local languages. Our association with Anime India reflects our commitment to supporting the growth of anime in India and deepening connections with fans, while continuing to build Amazon MX Player as a trusted destination for free, high-quality entertainment.”
“Anime India Kolkata is a celebration of how anime has grown beyond entertainment into a powerful cultural and creative force. By bringing fans, creators, and industry leaders onto one shared platform, the festival is helping define the future of pop culture in India,” said Anime India co-founder and director Neha Mehta.
The debut edition of Anime India 2025 in Mumbai attracted over 29,000 fans, quickly cementing its status as a landmark celebration of anime and Japanese pop culture. Riding on this overwhelming response, the Kolkata chapter is projected to draw more than 40,000 visitors across two days, positioning it as one of the biggest anime conventions ever held in eastern India.
Anime India is focused on bringing together fans from across the country to create a truly pan-India celebration of anime, manga, cosplay, gaming, and Japanese culture. With plans to expand into four key metropolitan hubs in 2026—east (Kolkata), north (Delhi), west (Mumbai), and south (Hyderabad)—the festival seeks to deliver globally benchmarked experiences while supporting and uplifting creators, artists, and fan communities throughout India.
