Event Coverage
Entertainment industry needs to train, nurture talent
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MUMBAI: The industry needs trained talent to rise from slumber! The entertainment industry needs to brace itself for harder time if it does not act soon – was the central theme of the seminar on “Education and Manpower Training: Mandatory for growth” held on the first day of Ficci FRAMES 2003. It also highlighted the pressing need to re-organise the entire industry. |
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Here are some snapshots of the interesting array of opinions expressed during the discussions and some responses to the questions raised at the end of the session. iSOMES director Nalin Kohli donned the twin role of a speaker and moderator. Sheridan Institute of Technology & Advance Learning president and CEO Robert Turner spoke extensively about the Canadian media education scenario and his institution in particular.  To illustrate his point, Turner presented an animated film conceived and executed by the students of the institute. While stressing on the importance of collaborating various media on an international level, he spoke about the possible contribution which institutions (like the one he represented) could make. Turner spoke about the need to draw a common international syllabus for media studies. He also expressed the need to garner international talent from India and other emerging economies. In the course of the lecture, he showed his willingness to collaborate with the Indian institutes to chalk out a study course. Turner’s pitch was supported by statistics and charts which showed that there were a large number of students studying in the Canadian Institutes. These students receive job offers from prestigious media companies and take home a handsome pay packet, he added. The second speaker of the day, Cybermedia group CEO Pradeep Gupta, began by speaking about the institute he represented, the School of Convergence. During the course of his lecture, Gupta spoke about the new media that is fast emerging and the shift of media focus from vertical to horizontal. To illustrate the new age media he discussed the current cricket World Cup match scores,especially the India versus Australia match and drew some kind of a parallel. To illustrate his point Gupta said: ” Content essentially is the match but while I received it via SMS; some one else might have heard it on radio while somebody must have seen it on the television”. Convergence media was the focal point of Gupta’s speech. Coincidentally, the educational institute that he represented was also based on the same theme. “Over the years we may have created a damn good technicians but if they do not know the business aspect of the media it is just a sheer waste of talent,” Gupta added. Gupta also spoke about the future evolution of India as an important media centre and a major animation hub. And after a four minute movie presentation created by the students of the institute that showcased their talent, Gupta set the stage for the next speaker. The third speaker was National School of Drama director and well-known film personality Anupam Kher. “With a slew of satellite channels and subsequent plethora of shows, media professionals are churned out at an unbelievable speed. Anybody can get up and say that I am an actor, similarly any body with pot loads of money can claim to be a professional and you cannot stop them,” stated Kher while describing the sorry state of the industry. After a short but emotional narration of his days of struggle, Kher spoke about the need for trained professionals. To emphasise on the importance of training he said: “I did not falter after innumerable humiliations and insufferable poverty because I had the arrogance of education”. Another issue that Kher dwelt into was the mushrooming of media institutes. He emphasised that the genuine institutes need not be paranoid as only the good one have the capability to survive. The last speaker of the day Nalin Kohli rushed through his entire presentation about the institute, a subsidiary of BAG films iSOMES. Highlighting the importance of training he said: “Unlike a decade ago, the media scene especially that of television, has become exceedingly cut-throat. and it seems sheer waste of both money and manpower.” During the Q&A session that followed several members of the audience refused to buy the claim that enough has been done. They opined that the bigwigs of the media need to stop passing the buck and put their arms together to give back what they got |
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.
