MAM
Promax India 2023 showcases innovation and insight
Mumbai: The realm of entertainment has been making waves all over the world with its extraordinary content creations. Recognising the most trailblazing ideas, the Promax Awards stands as the country’s premier celebration of outstanding achievements in the M&E industry. Promax India will mark the pinnacle of success for leading brands in entertainment marketing and design as it hosts its latest edition on 24 & 25 August in Mumbai. The Promax India Awards 2023 will continue the tradition of honouring leading brands across 60 categories for their innovation and foresight, including the ‘Arnab Chaudhuri Rocket Award’ in memory of the animation legend and promo genius, Arnab Chaudhari, director of India’s most iconic animated feature, Arjun the Warrior Prince. This award not only recognises rising stars in the world of promotions but also comes with prizes totalling Rs 1.6 lakh, proudly sponsored by TRZY.
Promax India goes beyond celebrating the best creative brands in entertainment, marketing, promotion, and design. It also provides a platform for industry professionals to gain valuable insights and skills. The two-day event features prominent speakers who will ignite valuable conversations on the challenges faced in the M&E industry and how to stay ahead of the game.
Newly introduced this year, the Senior Leadership Luncheon, an exclusive event open only to upper management, will be held on 24 August at The Club Mumbai. This full-day event features three industry experts, Lee Hunt, David Shing, and Prasoon Pandey who will share their insights on the latest industry trends, fostering stimulating conversations and the exchange of ideas among attendees. Simultaneously is the creative boot camp, titled “The Anatomy of a Clip-Based Promo”, at Atlas SkillTech University. Helmed by Vikki Stephenson, a senior creative consultant with 20 years of experience in creating award-winning campaigns for renowned brands, this boot camp is open to all professionals aiming to elevate their creative bar and produce world-class promos.
The conference and awards show will be held on 25 August at the Radisson Hotel Goregaon. The conference features the highly anticipated session, ‘New Best Practices 2023’ by Lee Hunt, which analyses how the industry continues to be reshaped by the competition between linear and streaming platforms. The Digital Prophet, David Shing, will enlighten us on the impact as we rapidly and extensively connect to the digital world. India’s very own visionary, Tamagna Ghosh, will curate and showcase the best of the best design and promotion from across the globe in another popular session, WORLD GOLD. Returning to this year’s Promax India Awards Show are the dynamic duo from RED FM, RJ Rocky and RJ Purab, who will host the event.
Promax India extends its heartfelt appreciation to its sponsor, Zee Bangla, for their valuable support. Their partnership has been instrumental in the success of Promax India.
Commenting on the occasion, Andy Chua, Conference Director of Promax India, said, “The Promax India Awards 2023 is where we recognise and celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Indian M&E industry. For over two decades, we have witnessed the industry’s incredible growth and innovation. So must we in Promax India to continue to evolve and meet the needs of the community we serve. We look forward to welcoming you all to an improved and extraordinary event filled with inspiration and insights to meet the challenges ahead.”
Promax India 2023 awards chair & head of India Originals, Prime Video India Aparna Purohit said, “To celebrate stories that intrigue, engage, inspire, and help build not just the brands but also contribute towards the cultural zeitgeist of our times is indeed a huge honour. Promax Awards commemorate the rich and diverse creative excellence by recognizing the minds behind some of the most spectacular brand and marketing campaigns. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to go through some of the finest creative work from India, and award them for their contribution to the world of entertainment.”
“The Promax Awards are enriching because exchanging ideas multiplies them, and that is how culture is nourished”, said Corcoise Films director Prasoon Pandey.
“The Promax Awards celebrate the power of creativity in the realm of entertainment and content marketing. It’s a testament to the industry’s ability to captivate and engage audiences through innovative campaigns that leave a lasting impact. These awards recognize the brilliance that fuels the magic of storytelling” said Trailer Park Group managing director APAC Tamagna Ghosh.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
