Event Coverage
Credible data is what international bodies are seeking
| MUMBAI: Get serious with the numbers that are being thrown around or miss a great opportunity waiting to be tapped. That was the message at the session on the “International Media Perspective on Indian Entertainment Industry – Mirror, Mirror on the Wall!” which was conducted during the latter half of the opening day at Ficci FRAMES 2003 in Mumbai. |
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From a hard hitting comment, “They don’t really give a damn (the international media),” by Asian Movie Works MD Scott Rosenberg to a pretty picture painted by the Australia based Anupam Sharma, a seemingly full breadth opinion was what was brought to the table at the discussion chaired by Times of India president Pradeep Guha. Putting forth a bald “if truth be told” account of how the West perceives the Indian entertainment sector, Rosenberg offered a few practical solutions on how the Western media could be made more India friendly. His recipe: (a) Have a good spin on the news that is generated to make it interesting to for a western audience; Have a complete grasp of what the trade journals and magazines like Variety and the Hollywood Reporter are reporting on.  (b) Advertise (c) Make it a point to get to know the regional reporters (like Rosenberg) and wine and dine them (d) Get a good PR firm. A point that all the speakers at the session that included Variety international director Lionel O’Hara, Carlton Television producer Parminder Vir and Hollywood Reporter/ Billboard Indian correspondent Nyay Bhushan had was that at the end of it all whatever it was the Indian entertainment business had to offer had to translate into tangible dollars and cents numbers which were reliable. Right from the speakers to, sections of the audience, (which included an international investor) the point was made that if the data that was being thrown up could offer better clarity as to just what was the actual picture then only would serious business proposals be put on the table. Vir made the point that India had immense amounts of talent as far as directing, producing and technical skills were concerned, that could be exported. India had more to offer than Bollywood, Vir stressed. The world needed to be educated as to the business and creative opportunities that India offered, Vir added. Corporatisation and restructuring of the industry was in process Davies said, adding conditional access rollout (CAS) had the potential to be the harbinger of the second generation growth explosion in India and this needed to be articulated further. Davies dished out some highly optimistic projections as to what India’s cable and satellite industry was worth. It generated US$ 1.8 billion in 2002, would throw up US $ 2.115 billion this year and would be worth $ 3 billion in 2006, Davies said. Bhushan suggested that the Indian entertainment industry be represented better globally. He cited the example of BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) which had offices in Los Angeles to keep the Americans up to date on what the British film industry was doing. Vir summed it up thus: “Research and data needs to be seriously improved if the Industry is to be taken more seriously.” The message to India’s blossoming media and entertainment industry: improve corporate governance and people are thirsting for reliable information. That’s a message that agencies like KPMG which produced this year’s report for FRAMES, “The India Entertainment Sector in the Spotlight” also need to imbibe. |
| Dollar to rupee conversion rate: US$1 = Rs 47.66 |
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.
