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Crest secures $40 million funding, D E Shaw to hold 15%
MUMBAI: Crest Animation Studios Ltd. will be getting a capital infusion of up to $40 million from D E Shaw group. The specialised investment and technology development firm will hold 14.99 per cent of Crest and up to 26 per cent of the Indian animation company’s US subsidiary RichCrest Holdings Inc.
The agreement, subject to shareholder approval, also sanctions zero per cent coupon finance for production of animated feature films. D E Shaw comprises a number of entities with approximately $23 billion in aggregate capital.
“The proposed investment comprises several distinct transactions representing an aggregate infusion of up to $40 million,” Crest says in a release today. “This financing cements Crest as one of the few 3-D CGI studios globally that is active in co-production of feature films with a major motion picture distributor,” it adds.
RichCrest Animation Inc., located in Burbank, California, has entered into an agreement to co-produce three full-length 3-D animated feature films in a Joint Venture with Lions Gate Inc., a leading movie distribution company in the United States. The first of the three feature films, titled “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble”, has a planned release in 2008. The second movie project, titled “Alpha & Omega”, is currently in the development stage, and is planned for release in 2009.
Specifically, the investment in Crest is proposed to fund the ongoing expansion and upgrade of Crest’s 3-D animation facilities and to meet the long term working capital requirements of the business. The investment in the subsidiary is to fund the requirements of RichCrest Animation Inc., which is actively involved in the 3D animated movies business.
Says Crest Animation Studios managing director Seemha Ramanna, “D E Shaw has deeply understood the potential of 3-D animation in India and the significant global opportunities for Crest. The proposed investment is custom-tailored to enable Crest and its subsidiaries to build a powerful presence in the 3-D animation business worldwide, across the formats of television, DVD and feature films.”
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Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
