Event Coverage
India should become first country to industrialize without carbonizing; create unique model of development: Amitabh Kant
Mumbai: G-20 Sherpa, Government of India, Amitabh Kant, has said that transition to a circular economy can bring significant benefits to India, ranging from environmental conservation to economic growth and job creation. It’s emphasis on reducing waste generation, promoting local production and resource optimization, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions aligns with India’s commitments to sustainable development and climate change mitigation. “When countries like India begin the long march towards growth and development, it must create a unique model of development where we become the first country in the world to industrialize without carbonizing,” he added.
Addressing the ‘FICCI Circular Economy Symposium’, Kant further stated that it is imperative for India to grow rapidly from the current rate of 7.5 per cent and accelerate the pace of growth to 9-10 per cent per annum in the years to come. The model of development for India has to be very different and to be able to do that we need to focus on bringing renewable energy in India including producing renewable energy and green hydrogen. “India is climatically blessed to produce green hydrogen. Currently the cost of production of green hydrogen is $4.5 per kg and India’s objective is to bring is down to $1 per kg by 2030,” he added.
Kant highlighted that the world is going through massive disruption and soon the focus will be on electric mobility especially for two, three and four-wheelers. There is also the need to bring in huge energy efficiency along with huge focus on circular economy. He also emphasized that India must give thrust on the process of recycling. Circular economy is an economic system where means of production are organized around recycling, reusing the inputs so that they can be used to reduce environmental emission and facilitate a sustainable mode of production.
“We need to achieve the circularity of inputs. India is currently not circular, and the economic model is linear. There is a radical need to transit to circular economy as it opens huge possibility of innovation, disruption, help reduce greenhouse emissions,” he added.
The transition to circular economy can bring significant benefits to India and we need to become the global champions to accelerate this transition process including investing in infrastructure and encouraging innovations, noted Kant.
Counsellor, head of section – delegation of the European Union to India Dr Michael Bucki, said that there is a huge potential in circular economy between India and the EU and there is a lot of room for mutual learning between the two.
SABIC VP, regional head- South Asia & Australia, Janardhanan Ramanujalu, said that rapid urbanization, deforestation, and exponential population are some of the challenges of carbon dioxide imbalance in the atmosphere and all stakeholders need to find a solution to these. “We need to focus on the concept of circular carbon economy. Carbon capture and utilization, recycling carbon-based products, becoming energy efficient and innovation in materials are few steps to achieve circular carbon economy,” he added.
National CE Committee chair and Mahindra LifeSpace Developers Ltd MD & CEO Amit Shah said that embracing the circular economy will also be an important contribution to societies effort to handle urgent climate change challenges.
FICCI National CE Committee co-chair and Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd chief sustainability officer Naresh Tyagi said innovation and collaboration are the way for the industry to move towards a circular economy.
During the event ‘4th FICCI Circular Economy Awards’ were announced along with the release of ‘National Unified Circularity Measurement Framework’.
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.
