Event Coverage
Indian media far closer to rest of world now: Raj Nayak
MUMBAI: Continuing with our series on what leading Indian media and entertainment figures have to say about the Indian television and media scene ahead of next month‘s television trade event Mipcom in Cannes, France we present NDTV Media CEO Raj Nayak‘s views. He holds forth on addressability, ad spend, collaboration among other issues.
Relationship between Indian media and the rest of the world: “The Indian Media is far more closer to the rest of the World now in more ways than one than ever before. International alliances / International Funding. Soon this will translate to International Best Practices across all operations.”
Ad Spend: “Accountability and ROI will be the next wave in Media investments and collective action as this Industry comes to the fore.
“The transition to ad spend being 1 per cent of GDP doesn‘t seem too far… with more and more fragmentation and the case for survival, the price points will get pushed up. There is no other alternative.”
Collaboration and outsourcing: “Online has done it and now other media are following. It‘s all about synergies of scale. No individual company can manage 25-30 per cent growth year on year for the next 10 years. People will collaborate, efficiencies will improve, more and more processes will be outsourced. Individual processes will come out and shine. Ad sales and distribution outsourcing will take centre stage.”
Talent Crunch: “People will be an issue and the talent crunch to manage this growth will be immense. Investments in people will continue. Good stock of people will enter the market getting best practices from other industries.”
No more free lunches for TV viewers: “Addressability will mean no more free lunches for even audiences. Pay for what you want to see. Better investments will follow.”
The regional boom: “The retail wave will ensure shopping behaviours are altered and hence local promotions will be most critical heralding the arrival of the new wave regional channels.”
More niche content: “More and more niche content will come into India. There is no reason why an Aviation channel cannot come to India. After all there are more people in the Indian Air Force than all aviation enthusiasts in whole of the UK. And at Rs 5/- a month for even 10 million HH‘s (estimated DTH penetration by 2010), this by itself translates to Rs 600 million revenues in a year, thus challenging all previous business models.”
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.
