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Anish Mehta moves on as CEO of animation studio Cosmos-Maya
Mumbai: Anish Mehta has decided to move on from his role as CEO of animation studio Cosmos-Maya after a ten-year stint. He built the studio from a 30-member team to a 1200+ powerhouse.
He will be soon announcing his new venture sometime this year.
Under Anish’s leadership, the studio has grown multifold owing to his strong ability to maintain a fine balance between business and creativity. He is credited with achieving quite a few milestones not only for the studio but also for the industry at large. Anish had been the CEO and minority shareholder of Cosmos-Maya since 2012.
He led the studio’s foray into original Indian animation IP creation with the launch of Motu Patlu, India’s most successful animation series. Post that, the studio created over 10,000 half hours of kids’ animation content across 20+ shows; maintaining a 50 per cent+ market share of the original Indian kids and family content space for a decade. The studio’s key clients include – Nickelodeon, Disney, Cartoon Network, Sony, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, Discovery Kids, Facebook and YouTube.
During his tenure, the company grew with four different business streams globally and revenue and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) growth of 25x+ from 2012 to 2022. Globally he spearheaded efforts towards co-productions with European and other international players, which were able to sell in 100+ countries the world over.
His most notable achievement was to steadily attract organized investment into the business and consistently give investors a profitable exit through a higher valuation of the company. He played an instrumental role in getting private equity investors into the Indian animation business, first with KKR backed Emerald Media and later with TPG affiliate NewQuest Capital Partners.
Commenting on his exit, Anish Mehta said “I would like to thank Ketan and Deepa, the promoters of Cosmos-Maya for trusting me with the opportunity of growing the company. I would also like to extend gratitude to our previous investors KKR backed Emerald Media, Rajesh Kamat and angel investor Tilak Sarkar for providing the right guidance and support on this journey. It has been a great pleasure working with the current investor, TPG affiliate NewQuest Capital Partners and I wish them and the team of Cosmos-Maya all the very best for future growth and to carry the legacy forward.”
He also led the initiative of building the company’s YouTube network, WowKidz with 35 channels, which achieved 80 million+ subscribers, and 41 billion+ views worldwide across 10+ languages in a short span of 5 years. “I feel very passionately about content creators and believe that digital media has offered a rather egalitarian and equalizing platform to all creators. I find the best way to express my appreciation is to be able to support and mentor the new generation of digital content creators as they set out to create path-breaking content that will have a positive impact on countless lives of kids & family audiences. The intention is to partner with global investors and pioneers to achieve this vision”, said Mehta.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
