Event Coverage
FICCI FRAMES 2024: #Reinvent: Navigating the future of media and entertainment industry
Mumbai: The Indian media and entertainment industry is witnessing significant changes, with shifting consumer preferences for high-quality content, new broadcasting technologies, pressures on advertising spend, and the advent of AI. The #Reinvent session at FICCI Frames 2024 examined the dynamics driving this transformation and explored a range of enabling policies designed to support an industry navigating through a period of significant upheaval.
The keynote of this session was given by Ministry of I&B secretary Sanjay Jaju, who said, “As we move forward, the Government of India’s focus is on creating a conducive environment for the Media and Entertainment industry to thrive.”
The session was moderated by Ernst and Young partner Ashish Pherwani.
“In the last one year, the skilling ecosystem of Maharashtra has supported 48,000 youths from Maharashtra to be trained only in media and entertainment. This was something of a record under M&E skill council. A big thank you to Mangal Prabhat ji and his government for their proactive efforts to train rural and urban youths,” FICCI India AVGC-XR Forum chair Ashish Kulkarni.
“Globally, the media and entertainment industry is witnessing remarkable shifts with digital innovation reshaping consumption patterns and content creation dynamics,” FICCI Media and Entertainment Committee chair and Viacom18 CEO – broadcast entertainment Kevin Vaz.
“India is a significant priority market for Meta globally. We have invested considerable time in developing products tailored to the diverse needs of the hundreds of millions of people using our platforms. We are dedicated to serving both users and businesses by continually enhancing our offerings,” FICCI Media and Entertainment committee co-chair and Meta India VP and head Sandhya Devanathan.
“There is no one single customer. Customers sit across a spectrum of accessibility, affordability, of languages in which they want to watch their entertainment and what their entertainment needs are. For us, building solutions for India has always been about what we need to build as an end solution and not making piecemeal choices,” Amazon Prime Video country head Sushant Sreeram.
“Free dish has been growing continuously and consistently. In 2003, when it started, the industry was at a very nascent stage and it set the context for the rest of the industry to grow and develop,” Prasar Bharati chief executive officer Gaurav Dwivedi.
“We usually focus on the who, what and where. Who is consuming us, what kind of content they are consuming and where do they prefer to consume. I think the new dynamic that is now emerging is for us to focus on when and traditionally linear TV networks didn’t focus on that. By when, I mean consumption patterns that are arising from the situation that you are in – like in an elevator, waiting for a bus or picking your child from school. And in that 30-second to five-minute moment, do you have content form that they find engaging,” FICCI media and entertainment committee co-chair and Warner Bros Discovery Sr VP and general manager – India & South Asia Arjun Nohwar.
“Out-of-home advertising is playing a great role in sustenance of smart cities because when we see any social spaces – roadside shelters, libraries or any basic first mile or last mile connectivity solutions, it is the responsibility and obligation of out-of-home player where they invest in basic infrastructure. It is beyond billboards and includes investing in smarter solutions like charging points too,” Signpost India chairman & MD Shripad Ashtekar.
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.
