Event Coverage
Ficci regional council moves to a new premise in Mumbai
Mumbai, 5 May, 2006 – With a mission to accelerate industrial and economic growth of the western region manifold by acting as a catalyst in the process of progress, FICCI Western Regional Council – the regional arm of the FICCI – the largest and the oldest apex body for industries, moved on Thursday evening, to a bigger and modern office at Krishnamai Building, Pochkhanwala Road, Worli, Mumbai 400025. With this shifting, FICCI-Western Regional Council has become the largest regional office of FICCI in India. The new office has been designed to accommodate a big conference room, research center with space to accommodate future growth.
Inaugurating the new office of FICCI-WRC, Mr. Saroj Poddar, President, FICCI expressed confidence that the regional office of FICCI, which has been doing wonderful work, would serve the industry and the society with renewed vigour. He pointed out that the expansion of the regional office in Mumbai was in line with FICCI’s firm belief that strong regional offices would strengthen the apex body to maintain the position of leadership in serving trade, industry by offering excellent service. He assured all out support to its regional office in its developmental efforts for the region.
Mr. Habil Khorakiwala, Sr. Vice President, FICCI in his address said that the opening of the bigger and modern office in Mumbai showed the importance that FICCI attaches to this great city of Mumbai and the State of Maharashtra. He envisioned Mumbai becoming the knowledge capital of India, based on her strengths in IT, ITeS, Pharma, Biotechnology sectors. He called for a total transformation of Mumbai, Maharashtra and the entire western region, which have a great potential for unlimited growth. He expressed confidence that FICCI Regional Office could act as a catalyst in bringing about such a transformation.
Earlier Mr. Sushil Jiwarajka, Chairman, FICCI-WRC, gave an overview of the regional and national initiatives undertaken by the council. He elaborated on the achievements of the council in areas of regional core competence viz., Textiles, Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Petrochemicals, Entertainment, Energy – Oil, Gas, Power, Agriculture, Banking, Capital Markets and Medical Tourism. He also highlighted its Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives like curbing of cyber crime, flood relief, rainwater harvesting, and corporate governance. He stressed the role of the regional council in areas like trade facilitation, arbitration and conciliation, sold waste management, women empowerment and enterprise.
Underling the need for brand protection, Mr. Ashok Chhabra, Executive Director, Procter & Gamble, Member, FICCI, Brand Protection Committee said that fake products and counterfeits wee harming the interests of all the industries in general and FMCG & Pharmaceuticals in particular. He also said that FICCI was taking every effort to contain this menace. He called for total cooperation of all concerned to control this problem.
Highlighting the need to reduce transaction costs and improve market access in international trade, Mr.Ramu Deora, Chairman, FICCI Trade Facilitation Forum elaborated on the work being done by the Forum in providing a forum for effective interface with trade related agencies and the authorities concerned for creating a hassle free international trade environment.
Lauding the FICCI-Western Regional Council for setting up the excellent office in Mumbai, Dr. Amit Mitra, Secretary General, FICCI, envisioned that the regional office would provide more services to industry, bring about radical changes in the economy, and effect changes in policies to enlarge market opportunities for conducting easy and hassle free trade in the true spirit of globalization with liberalization as its foundation. He underlined the strengths of FICCI at the national level in terms of highly qualified manpower, economic database, wealth of research information, research facilities and the support of its regional and overseas office. He was confident that both FICCI and FICCI-WRC could bring about synergies in operations and be a strong force to reckon with.
Media Division,
FICCI, Mumbai
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Neha Taleja/Shefali Virani
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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.
