Event Coverage
India shining at MipTV
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CANNES: Japan is the country of honour at this year‘s MipTV, but it could well be India‘s day just like at Mipcom in October 2007. Indian broadcasters, producers and distributors will turn out in droves when MipTV commences in Cannes‘ famed Palais des Festivals in the south of France on Monday, 7 April. In fact, this is the strongest presence from India in MipTV‘s history. Among the first timers who will be making their debut as exhibitors include: NDTV Imagine (Harsh Rohatgi), Studio 18 and Indian Film Company (Tanuj Garg), Idreams (Ashish Bhatnagar, Rohit Sharma), Bollywood Masala, and TBSL-FTPGI. Among the oldtimers who are continuing with their presence include: Sony Entertainment, Zee Entertainment, Sahara One Entertainment, Eros Multimedia. Veterans Venus and Shemaroo are also exhibiting. Others who are making their debut as participants include: Reliance Entertainment (Rajesh Sawhney, Tarun Katial and Ashutosh), Reliance Capital (Shalini Behl, Krishnamurthy). While Katial will be looking at acquiring formats, alliances, partnerships, Behl and Krihsnamurthy were seen screening documentaries at Mipdoc — which were produced in HD. Other oldtimers who have made their way to the French Riviera include: Iqbal Malhotra, Viacom 18, VH1, Discovery, Endemol, DQ Entertainment, Imageventures, Infoseek, Optimystix, Star India (Keertan Adyanthaya, Sameer Rao), INX Media (Peter Mukerjea, Indrani Mukerjea). The presence of India is up by around 20-25 per cent at the time of writing. Says an observer: “The Indian television market has an insatiable desire for content with the explosion in channels. Also there is pressure from managements to find alternative sources of revenues and to syndicate content in other markets. Hence Indian TV executives are being forced to go to MipTV and Mipcom as it is one of the most focused markets in the world. And of course there is the new market called Amazia which should prove attractive for Indian digital and traditional content companies.” MipTV and Mipcom director Paul Johnson says that research has shown that the two markets are responsible for almost $12 billion in programming transactions, a figure which can only go up with the explosion in the number of media outlets such as HD television, home video, online and mobile video. Clearly, the Indian companies are just about beginning to understand that they can grab a piece of the action. |
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.
