Event Coverage
Dinamalar MADDYS 2024 celebrates a historic night as a national advertising award
Mumbai: The Advertising Club Madras proudly announces the successful completion of the 42nd Dinamalar MADDYS, now transformed into a national advertising award. With a record-breaking 1015 entries from over 10 states and participation from 116 agencies and clients, 27 international, national & regional jurors, MADDYS 2024 has set a new benchmark in the Indian advertising industry.
Event highlights:
– National recognition: The MADDYS Awards has officially become a national advertising award, showcasing the best talent from across India.
– Record participation: This year saw an unprecedented 1015 entries from 116 agencies/clients spanning over 10 states.
– Grand attendance: The event witnessed the presence of over 700 industry professionals.
– Cocktail & networking dinner enjoyed widely
– New merchandise launch: The event also saw the launch of exclusive MADDYS collectible pencils and T-shirts.
– Eminent participation: The gala was graced by industry leaders and distinguished juries, adding to the prestige of the night.
Celebrating the ideas of India:
The evening marked the launch of MADDYS’ new tagline, “Celebrating the Ideas of India,” encapsulating the essence of the event. President Balasubramanian S expressed, “Tonight, we honor the creativity, innovation, and hard work that drive our industry forward, marking the beginning of a new journey as a National Advertising Award Program.”
Judging excellence:
Entries were judged on three key parameters: originality, ideas & concepts, and relevance. Each entry was scored from one to ten points by a minimum of three jurors per category. Entries scoring above eight points received gold, those scoring between six to 7.9 received silver, and entries scoring between 5 to 5.9 received bronze. This year, 425 entries were shortlisted, resulting in 347 awards: 21 gold, 112 silver, and 215 bronze awards.
Exhibition and awards:
An exhibition displaying all entries was held, providing attendees with a comprehensive view of the industry’s finest work. Due to time constraints, bronze awards were distributed in a separate enclosure, the “Bro-Zone.”
Acknowledgments:
President Balasubramanian S extended his deepest appreciation to the 27 distinguished judges for their meticulous evaluation and the executive committee members, especially Surej Salim (Secretary) and Umanath (Treasurer), for their relentless efforts in making this event a reality.
Key winners:
– Creative Agency of the Year: Vermmillion Communications Pvt Ltd
– Digital Agency of the Year: Digitally Inspired Media Pvt Ltd
– Media Agency/Client of the Year: Amazon Seller Services Private Limited
– Advertiser of the Year: Swiggy
Here are the entire winners list: https://adclubmadras.com/maddys2024/files/maddys-2024-winners-list.pdf
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.
