Event Coverage
Vidnet Summit 2024: The streaming commerce: Where is this heading?
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 panel for this session was moderated by Ernst and Young LLP (Session Chair) partner Raghav Anand along with other panelists like Arha Media & Broadcasting CEO, Ravikant Sabnavis, Chaupal co-founder Ujjwal Mahajan, JOJO App co-founder Meet Kariya, PlayboxTV founder & CEO Aamir Mulani.
Anand set the tone by highlighting the rapid evolution of streaming commerce and its profound impact on brands and OTT platforms. He posed a question to the panelists about how they foresee the evolving landscape of streaming commerce influencing both brands and OTT platforms, and what strategies they deem crucial for effectively leveraging this trend in the coming years.
Mulani shared his perspective, telling the goal of achieving parity with television distribution to enhance cache and development capabilities, “‘The idea is the day we match, 50% of distribution of television, we all be able to have a better cache. We always able to have a better dev. Everything will be smooth.”
Mahajan stressed the importance of engaging content across multiple languages, aligning with theatrical markets, and boosting marketing efforts for major movies, “The power of content lies in its ability to engage audiences. If our platform operates in multiple languages from the start, it aligns well with theatrical markets and boosts existing marketing efforts for major tentpole movies. However, long-term success hinges on digital content.”
Sabnavis said their content strategy’s evolution to resonate strongly with cultural preferences, initially focusing on a direct subscription model to build brand loyalty, “Over the last four years, we have honed our content strategy to ensure a strong cultural affinity, making it compelling and unique. Initially, we opted for a subscription model, avoiding partnerships with telecom operators to create a direct brand pull.”
Lastly, Kariya reflected on their app journey from producers to launching a free platform, driven by a desire to support content creators facing challenges.
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.
