Event Coverage
Funding models need to change for growth of film industry
MUMBAI: Corporate activity was growing in the entertainment sector in India and this would help in getting finance more easily in the years to come.
Filmmaker Bobby Bedi and some other speakers in a session moderated by KPMG Executive Director (M & E) Jehil Thakkar on ’Legal and Financial Framework to Boost the Entertainment Industry’ at Ficci Frames were unanimous that getting finance today was much easier than before but felt that there was still very little institutional funding for films.
Dina Dattani who is a consultant said the new trend in Hollywood was that it was reaching out to India as people wanted change.
Patricia Mayer who is a leading lawyer in the field of entertainment and media in the United States, said it was interesting that American filmmakers were running out of ideas and taking licences of films from other countries particularly in Europe to remake them in English. What was needed was new stories. Answering a question, she said Indian films that appealed to the diaspora succeeded overseas.
Bedi said the business model has to change if Indian films have to get funds. The main problem was that Indian films tended to recover their money over a large period and most banks including the Industrial Development Bank of India refused to give money for such long periods.
He said in answer to a question that there was no impediment to foreign money coming into India for funding films.
YES Bank Executive Vice President and Country Head for Media and Entertainment Karan Ahluwalia said banks were already introducing new forms of funding, such as a fund of infrastructure. He felt that the Government should support the National Films Development Corporation to help private filmmakers who could not seek help from studios.
Legal Consultant Ashni Parekh said amendments were needed in the Copyright Act to protect the copyright holder. Unfortunately, there was little implementation of this Act.
She said new forms of financial arrangements such as Completion Bonding had come in but were not very practical in a situation where films took so long to make. She regretted that most filmmakers taking finance did not do any documentation primarily because of relationships.
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.
