Event Coverage
Print or digital; what redefines a traditional paradigm?
MUMBAI: While circulation of newspapers is still in the positive and print continues to have the lion’s share of the ad spend pie; digital is gaining ground rapidly. So is there a reason for fear amongst print players?
Discussing this was a panel comprising The Indian Express Group wholetime director Anant Goenka, Mid-Day editor Sachin Kalbag, BBC Online editor Nidheesh Tyagi, Danik Bhaskar Group SVP – sales, market development and brand marketing Vinay Maheshwari and Percept Allied Media CEO Shripad Kulkarni. The panel was moderated by MXM editor-in-chief and CEO Pradyuman Maheshwari.
Goenka recalled that when he started handling the digital side of The Indian Express Group, the important factor was to stick to the funda of ABCD – Astrology, Bollywood, Cricket and Devotion. He went on to say that politics became the hot topic interest on the Internet, thanks to the issues related to Narendra Modi, elections and Arvind Kejriwal. He believes that Internet, gives them an opportunity to reach out to a wider range of audience where print can’t be reached at this point of time.
Goenka believes that it is a very complimentary medium. “It is clearly about finding a way to create content that works for both mediums (digital and print). Content has to be exclusively for each medium. Both mediums in India are comfortable and are here to stay,” he said.
According to Danik Bhaskar’s Maheshwari, both the mediums always do not have the same set of audience. He opines that print and digital are going to co-exist and for long. He believes that newspapers act as an advantage for any consumer. “It reaches people at 7 am in the morning at their doorsteps and people are fresh to read it. In tier II and III cities, literacy, income and readership is on a rise. On top of all this, affordability is also on the rise. The reach that print delivers today is worth mentioning,” he said, adding that regional languages papers are also consumed well.
Kalbag said that what digital is doing right now is putting a lot of strength to what print delivers in the morning. “Where you break big stories in print, it is a big worry for any journalist and editor for how to do justice post 8 am for internet. To viralise it on social media platforms is the best way to reach out to the whole world.” He asserted that social media platforms have become curated platforms where all print news is curated in the best manner for each of the digital platform.
“What works for Twitter may not necessarily work for Facebook or Pintrest and vice-a-versa. So each of these platforms need to have a perfect tactic or strategy to put all of the content together and every journalist and editor should know how to do justice to each of the platforms,” said Kalbag.
Kulkarni had a different opinion altogether. He believes that the industry is definitely witnessing a change, thanks to digital platforms entering into the market. “We have spoken about India and Bharat but for the first time, digital has had a heavy impact. Look at all the generations, from old generation like me to a new generation like my daughter. I still prefer newspapers and she prefers reading it online. This is the change and more changes are yet to come.”
To conclude, most of the parties believed that print and digital are equally important for different set of audiences and both are here to stay for a very long time.
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.
