iWorld
Ready to Anime? Rashmika & Shubman Level Up Crunchyroll
Broadband grows 0.37 per cent to 1007.35 million subscribers.
MUMBAI: Anime isn’t just sneaking into India’s living rooms any more, it’s bursting through the door with a celebrity double act that’s hard to ignore. Crunchyroll has launched its cheeky new India campaign, “Ready to Anime?”, starring actor Rashmika Mandanna and cricket star Shubman Gill in a two-part ad film that perfectly captures how Japanese animation has gone from niche obsession to everyday entertainment staple.
The first spot drops during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with extra airtime woven into Shark Tank India Season 5 on Sony Liv. The second film is lined up for the IPL season, ensuring anime stays front and centre across live sport, streaming binges and casual viewing moments.
The storyline is delightfully simple yet spot-on. On a shoot set, anime enthusiast Rashmika enthusiastically pitches Solo Leveling to Shubman. He nods politely… then keeps glancing at his phone. Everyone assumes he’s distracted until the reveal: he’s completely hooked, streaming on Crunchyroll. Message received: once anime grabs you, good luck stepping away.
Rashmika brings genuine super-fan energy, while Shubman plays the perfect relatable newcomer, bridging longtime otakus and curious first-timers. Together they mirror how anime is crossing over from dedicated fandom into broader cultural chat.
A 2025 National Research Group study (commissioned by Crunchyroll) backs up the buzz, 62 per cent of general entertainment consumers in India say they “love” or “like” Japanese anime. Among teenagers the figure rockets to 74 per cent, making them the most passionate age bracket by far.
Crunchyroll vice president of regional marketing Raúl González Bernal called the pairing a natural fit. “Anime is evolving into a normal part of daily entertainment in India,” he said, noting how the campaign uses two massive influencers from film and sport to show its widening appeal across interests and backgrounds.
Tilt Brand Solutions (under Quotient Ventures) crafted the campaign, with production handled by Studioq. It will roll out across TV, connected TV, digital platforms and social media nationwide.
On the service side, Crunchyroll offers more than 900 anime titles in India, including over 160 dubbed in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu. New episodes land the same day they air in Japan, with subscriptions kicking off at just Rs 99 per month.
In a market where global pop culture keeps finding fresh footholds, this campaign proves anime isn’t waiting for permission to become mainstream, it’s already here, phone in hand, ready for the next binge.
Gaming
Bluestone FY26 revenue rises to Rs 2,436 crore, turns profitable
Q4 profit at Rs 31 crore, full-year profit at Rs 13 crore vs loss last year.
MUMBAI: From sparkle to numbers, Bluestone seems to be polishing more than just jewellery this year. Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited reported a sharp turnaround in FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 2,436 crore (Rs 24,364 million), up from Rs 1,770 crore (Rs 17,700 million) in FY25. The company posted a full-year profit of Rs 13 crore (Rs 131.79 million), a significant recovery from a loss of Rs 222 crore (Rs 2,218 million) a year ago.
Total income for the year stood at Rs 2,486 crore (Rs 24,860 million), compared to Rs 1,830 crore (Rs 18,300 million) in the previous year, reflecting both topline growth and improved operational momentum.
The March quarter, however, told a more nuanced story. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 681 crore (Rs 6,814 million), down from Rs 748 crore (Rs 7,486 million) in the year-ago period, though higher than Rs 461 crore (Rs 4,613 million) in the preceding December quarter. Net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 31 crore (Rs 311.81 million), compared to Rs 68 crore (Rs 688 million) a year earlier, but a clear reversal from a loss of Rs 51 crore (Rs 512 million) in Q3.
Margins were shaped by higher input costs, with raw material consumption rising to Rs 2,204 crore (Rs 22,043 million) for the full year, alongside employee benefit expenses of Rs 282 crore (Rs 2,824 million) and finance costs of Rs 210 crore (Rs 2,104 million). Other expenses came in at Rs 371 crore (Rs 3,715 million), slightly lower than Rs 393 crore (Rs 3,938 million) in FY25.
On the balance sheet front, total assets expanded to Rs 4,961 crore (Rs 49,610 million) as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,532 crore (Rs 35,322 million) a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in inventories to Rs 2,672 crore (Rs 26,718 million). Equity also strengthened to Rs 1,803 crore (Rs 18,030 million), nearly doubling from Rs 911 crore (Rs 9,107 million).
Cash flows reflected the cost of growth. Net cash used in operating activities stood at Rs 199 crore (Rs 1,990 million), while investing activities saw an outflow of Rs 239 crore (Rs 2,392 million). Financing activities, however, generated Rs 497 crore (Rs 4,971 million), helping the company end the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 108 crore (Rs 1,075 million), up from Rs 49 crore (Rs 487 million).
Earnings per share for FY26 came in at Rs 1.10, a sharp improvement from a negative Rs 79.74 in FY25, underlining the shift from losses to profitability.
With revenue scaling up, costs still glittering on the higher side, and profitability finally back in the black, BlueStone’s FY26 performance suggests a business mid-transition less about shine alone, and more about sustaining it.
