Event Coverage
Regulation will continue to be a challenge in India: Reliance’s Rajesh Sawhney
MUMBAI: On the occasion of India being the country of honour at next month‘s television trade event Mipcom Indiantelevision.com is doing a series of pieces on what the leading figures in India‘s television and entertainment industry feel about the media scene.
The first one in this series is Reliance Entertainment president Rajesh Sawhney. He offers his views on regulation, as too the potential of the new digital distribution platforms.
Indian TV Industry overview: The stature of the Indian television industry will continue to grow in coming years. The Indian economy will grow at 9 to 10 per cent per annum. Conusumerism is on meteoric rise, which is fuelling advertising growth in general and on TV advertising in particular.
Digitalisation of cable, DTH and IPTV induction will see multiple growth in declared subsrcribers and subscription revenues. Revenue from advertising and TV subscriptions grew 17 per cent in 2006 to $4.2 billion; this figure is likely to more than double to $10 billion by 2011.
Regulation: Regulation will continue to be a challenge in India. While there are plenty of bullish figures for India’s pay-TV market, yet there are regulatory hurdles such as non-exclusivity of content on DTH or the price capping of pay-TV channels in the case of conditional access (Cas).
I advocate self regulation as far as content is concerned. The pricing of TV channels and bouquets is a tricky issue and the regulator has to see that there are no monopolistic or restrictive behaviour. The interest of the consumer needs to be balanced with the health of broadcasters as well as platform owners.
The digitisation of media: India is on the cusp of change. A digital revolution. DTH, digital cable and IPTV are realities today. These changes bring with them new level of technical sophistication and content production. It is being projected that India (which had 116-120 million television homes in 2006, of which 61 per cent have pay TV) will have 90 per cent penetration from an estimated 185 million television homes in 2015.
DTH, Digital cable and IPTV are three forces that are backed by capital, coporate horse power and regulatory will power. However, transition to digital technology will face trendous challenges from entrenched trade, consumer apathy, but also intensive competition.
On the IPTV front: The State-owned incumbents have a incumbency advantage, which they are frittering away. They own 50 m subs copper factory, but so far they have not shown much enterprise in making the copper factory evolve to provide triple play services. I feel that the private sector participation is key to growth of IPTV in India which is around the corner.
I feel that IPTV has a great future in India in long term. However in the short term, it will be DTH that will be key to driving consumer penetration.
DTH: DTH is an exciting market in India. It will also be a tough market with 6 serious players in the battle. The DTH satellite market is set to grow from 2.6 million subscribers in 2006 to 38 million by 2015. I also expect DTH to provide a new platform for new and innovative content to flourish in India. Content has been key to the success of DTH platforms in other markets. We will see how this plays a role in the evolution of DTH in Indian market.
Digital Cable: The introduction of Cas was scheduled to be done in a phased manner at least in three metros this year. But there seems to be a delay. Given the regulatory structure for cable industry, delays are inevitable.
Even the mom and pop nature of Indian cable industry is a hindrance in the roll out of efficient and effective digital cable networks.
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.
