Event Coverage
Indian companies drive into MipCom
CANNES: More than a dozen Indian companies are marking their presence at MipCom 2003 in the Palais de Festivals in Cannes. Scheduled to be held from 10-14 October 2003, the market is expected to be busy, the weakening American dollar notwithstanding.
Star India – with its gaggle of soaps and current affairs programmes, E-City Entertainment with its clutch of Spiritual shows (from the Chakra channel library), Eros International (with its huge movie library), Discovery Communications have all taken up booths in order to display their libraries. Balaji Telefilms, which had taken up a stand decided to abstain this year.
The other companies which have registered include: UTV Communications, Iqbal and Anu Malhotra’s AIM Television, Chennai-based magazine Animation Reporter, Dessin Works, Kosmic Studios, Uttar Pradesh based Escosoft Technologies, Secunderabad-based Green Gold Graphics, and Mumbai-based companies Sound Entertainment, UTV Software, Vale Music India, and indiantelevision.com.
Three days of conferencing, with pitching sessions from format show creators, screenings of several new programmes including those produced for HDTV, loads of lunches and evening cocktails and parties – attendees of this year’s MipCom are going to have their hands and time full. Of course there will be the meetings to begin new deals or continue conversations on existing ones and close some. Of course the nominees of The International Emmys are slated to be announced on 10 October. With a handful of Indian entries, it will be interesting to see if any of them hit the nomination charts.
Of course, two people are going to be recognised: News Corp. president and CEO and Fox Group chairman and CEO Peter Chernin is to be awarded with the Personality of the Year Award, and Warren Leibfarb, the founder of the DVD will be awarded the Decoration des Arts and Lettres by the French minister of Culture and Communication Jean-Jacques Aillagon.
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.
