Event Coverage
Houseful at Bengaluru leg of MIP India roadshow
BENGALURU: All the seats were taken and more had to be brought in as the Bengaluru leg of the MIP TV India roadshow ended last evening at the Lalit Ashok. With the theme ‘A Seamless Content World’, the Bengaluru MIP was addressed by Reed Midem (Paris) Asia Head Paul Barbaro and India representative for Asia Markets and Indiantelevision.com managing director and CEO Anil Wanvari. The duo addressed the rapt audience in tandem.
Beginning with the theme of the roadshow, Wanvari quoted Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos’ words that he had spoken during an interview – “A good story told well is a global product.” In today’s connected world, which is increasingly becoming seamless, content is king, queen and prince irrespective of geography. This was evident by the success of creations such as the Louis Fonse-Daddy Yankee’s Spanish number Despacito, which had 5 billion views on YouTube, even more than those that Gangnam Style had, explained Wanvari.
“Increasingly, scripted and non-scripted local shows made in a local language and aimed at domestic viewers are finding a global audience. And building a fan base overseas can only boost the revenue potential,” said Barbaro. Exhorting Indian creators, animators, Indian content aggregators and buyers and people from the Indian media and entertainment industry to participate at the India Pavilion at MIP TV 2018 at Cannes from 9 April to 12 April 2018, Barbaro and Wanvari spoke of the advantages, the gains, the benefits of doing so.
Citing examples of some successes of local content, Barbaro said, “Historically, dramas and comedies have not travelled well because they are steeped in local customs, conventions and cultures. Yet, Keshet’s Loaded, Star India’s Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon, and Broken Pieces from Turkey’s Global Agency made compelling scripted entertainment centred on universal truths. And these stories have enthralled audiences in a number of diverse geographies.”
Reed Midem’s statistics and data about buyers and sellers and the kind of content that was required, details about the money that could be earned from different countries were shared. Case studies were presented and AVIs of some success stories of some of the people who participated at MIP TV were played.
“Don’t come and register if you plan to come to MIP TV just once. You have to be there for the long haul if you want to truly succeed, to network with the buyers and sellers and leverage the associations that you built there,” concluded Wanvari very bluntly.
For details contact: Priyanka Sharma +91-8017562056/+91-22-6642 4062
Email: priyankas@indiantelevision.co.in or devikak@indiantelevision.co.in
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.
