Event Coverage
Vidnet Summit 2024: The evolving landscape of OTT in India: Regional growth, consumer trends, and aggregation dynamics
Mumbai: The OTT business in India is buzzing with new streamers, niche, and language offerings. However, early players are struggling as heavy content spending isn’t matching revenues, and India-specific low pricing hasn’t spurred subscriptions. Growth has plateaued as consumers return to post-COVID normalcy, preferring to binge occasionally.
Adding to the churn is the shift towards AVOD by giants like JioCinema, offering premium events like cricket for free, with Disney+Hotstar following suit. This has strained streaming bottom lines. The rise of FAST channels is also causing industry jitters. Vidnet explored the future of the streaming ecosystem.
The fireside session was hosted by Indian Television.com Group founder, chairman & editor in chief Anil NM Wanvari along with host HT Labs co-founder & CEO Avinash Mudaliar.
The interaction dug deeper into the rapid expansion and increasing popularity of regional OTT platforms in India, and the role of regional OTTs in preserving and promoting local languages and cultures. It also explored how changing viewing habits and personalisation algorithms are shaping Indian OTT content trends, emphasising diverse, inclusive offerings and platform adaptation to technology and user feedback.
“We’ve navigated through the challenge of finding what to watch, but the next hurdle is choosing an OTT platform. How much do we pay for these services, and can we access them all at once? Our goal is to simplify this with Odd Play Premium. By partnering with major players like Sony, Zee5, Lionsgate, and more, including regional ones like Malayala Manorama and Ahad Mammal Telugu, we’ve delved into diverse language content. Our recommendation engine stands out—it not only suggests based on metadata but also considers thematic preferences. For instance, if you’re watching “Trance” on Netflix, it might recommend similar films or those featuring the same actors,” said Mudaliar.
He further continued, “We also tackle acquisition costs for partners. By lowering these costs through our distribution channels, we make it easier for them to gain new users. Our platform acts not only as a discovery engine but also as a marketing tool, enhancing exposure for content that might otherwise go unnoticed. Plus, we offer a unified experience across 11 platforms—Android, iOS, and various smart TV ecosystems—eliminating the need for multiple app downloads. This approach not only benefits partners but also offers users a cost-effective way to access a wide range of content.”
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.
