Event Coverage
Decode the future of marketing excellence at SMARTIES Unplugged with 25+ marketing experts
Mumbai – The second edition of SMARTIES Unplugged India 2024 on 11 October is just around the corner, offering attendees 10+ curated sessions and insights from 20+ industry leaders. The pre-gala event will explore how AI-driven innovation and technology-powered creativity are reshaping the future of marketing, with expert speakers from brands like Flipkart, Spotify, HDFC Bank, Federal Bank, Ajio, Performics, amongst many more.
SMARTIES Unplugged India promises to be a must-attend event, delivering valuable insights from cutting edge work featuring at SMARTIES, jury POVs on winning work, spotlighting top categories of Smarties and their evolving influence in the marketing ecosystem. on the future of advertising, marketing, and business strategies shaping the future of marketing excellence. The agenda features masterclasses, in-depth discussions, and interactive sessions, giving attendees actionable strategies to take back to their teams. Partners for the event include – InMobi Glance, Silverpush, Blis, Federal Bank, Hybrid, Digital Turbine, Spotify, Mondelēz, IAA India Chapter, flynt.social, Verix, The Free Press Journal, Indiantelevision.com, Adgully & Medianews4u.com.
Key Highlights of the Event –
● Masterclass on The Future of Video Advertising
Gaming apps are emerging as high-attention platforms for video advertising, rivaling social media for brand engagement. Insights to master these interactive ads to boost brand performance will be shared by leaders from Digital Turbine.
● Creativity Through Play in Leadership
Playfulness has been identified as a key driver of creativity and resilience, essential for leadership in today’s AI-driven world. The session will explore how a culture of play can unlock innovation, with perspectives from Play2Transform Group.
● Top SMARTIES Categories in Spotlight
This session will offer a deep dive into the top categories that have seen the maximum traction at SMARTIES, discussing emerging trends in creativity and technology, with insights from Performics India, Interactive Avenues, and Hansa Cequity.
● Insights from SMARTIES Jury & Brands
A behind-the-scenes sneak-peek at the strategies driving marketing excellence, with key insights shared by SMARTIES jury and brands like Blis, HDFC Bank, and PivotRoots, alongside reflections from jury observer Kantar.
● Marketing Excellence in the AI Era
Marketing leaders from Federal Bank, AJIO, and Madison Loop will discuss how AI and creativity must intersect to drive real business impact in an increasingly tech-first world.
● Attention & Advertising in India, with AI Being the Game-Changer
Spotify India will reveal groundbreaking research on how consumer attention in the Indian market is reshaping advertising strategies, offering brands a roadmap to more effective campaigns. Hybrid will shed light on how AI-driven solutions are revolutionizing digital advertising, delivering cutting-edge results for brands.
● Performance-Driven Creativity: Crafting Campaigns That Deliver
This session will highlight how brands can use consumer insights to balance short-term wins with long-term brand loyalty, showcasing innovative approaches from Ultratech Cement and Glance Advertising.
SMARTIES Unplugged will provide a comprehensive view of the evolving marketing landscape. Smarties Unplugged is truly designed to equip attendees with practical strategies to elevate their marketing efforts.
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.
