Event Coverage
Stage set for the 21st edition of Mipcom
MUMBAI: The stage is set for the 21st edition of the television event Mipcom. The event takes kicks off on 17 October and runs till 21 October in Cannes, France.
Over 11,000 delegates from 92 countries will be in attendance for what is a packed five days. Over 1,440 companies will be exhibiting their offerings. 3410 companies have registered for the event.
One of the highlights this year will be prominent CEOs discussing the future of television at the first ever Mipcom Superpanel. The Superpanel will be held on 18 October. The theme for the Superpanel is, The Changing Landscape of Television – The Threats and Opportunities.
The speakers which include hit Entertainment CEO Greg Dyke and NDS CEO Abe Peled will share their views on the critical developments facing the fast-changing audiovisual landscape, and focus on how traditional television networks and companies are facing up to the opportunities and threats posed by the proliferation of such new applications as internet TV, mobile 3G and Video-On-Demand.
Other highlights from Mipcom’s 21st edition include three keynote speeches from Endemol’s Peter Bazalgette, Howard Roffman from Lucasfilm Licensing and Dan Romanelli of Warner Bros. Worldwide Consumer Products. Bazalgette who will open Mobile TV Day at Mipcom, rejects the term ‘new media’ and comments, “The first TV broadcast on the internet happened 11 years ago in 1994; the first video-enabled mobile phone was available over two years ago, it’s time to get on with it and start considering digital media as a place to sell more shows.”
Also high on the agenda are the first Mobile TV Screenings and Awards and the Mipcom DVD Awards. Cisneros group of companies chairman and CEO Gustavo Cisneros will receive the Mipcom 2005 Personality of the Year Award. There will also be an HDTV track. This will be in the form of workshops. Companies that will have the biggest stands are Discovery, Warner Bros. Intl TV Distribution, CBS Paramount Intl Television, FremantleMedia, Beta Film, Horizon Quebec, NBC Universal TV Distribution, Sony Pictures TV International.
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.
