Event Coverage
Industry needs to work together to ensure long term profitability: Uday Shankar
MUMBAI: The last ten years may be remembered as the glorious years for the Indian broadcasting industry, but concerns like creaking infrastructure, pressure on profitability, flawed measurement system, and the low level of innovation remain. 
Star India CEO Uday Shankar said while speaking at the Ficci Frames that he believes the broadcasting industry will touch $10 billion in advertising while subscription revenue will be $5 billion by 2020, depending on how fast the industry cleans up.
Shankar started his keynote by citing a statement by the Supreme Court in 1995 on airwaves being public property. “Most people obtain the bulk of information on matters of contemporary interest from the broadcasting medium. Television is unique in a way in which it intrudes in our home… TV is shaping food habits, cultural values, social norms and the society in many ways,” the Court had said.
Shankar added that there are some positive factors that will lead to the growth of the industry, including the hunger for content, C&S penetration and DTH.
He said the viewing of Hindi general entertainment channels had increased 25 per cent in the last two years with the launch of four new channels and the average time spent had increased from two hours in 2007 to two hours forty five minutes in 2009. Though the figures are promising, these are still below the global average of 3.7 hours per day and US average of 5.1 hour per day.
“Approximately 50 million viewers from the D and E towns have been added in 2009. We have to know these consumers and cater to their needs,” Shankar said.
Shankar said gender myths are coming apart and more men are watching Hindi GEC, while more women are watching sports and convergence.
On the DTH front, the industry has seen tremendous growth with 17 million subscribers being added in the last three years. The competition will push the cable to digitize faster and broadcasters will have non-linear and targeted delivery platform.
Summing up what the industry must do in the next 10 years, Shankar said investments should be made in innovation and differentiation across the value chain; scale should be build but not at the cost of loss-making monsters; direct connect should be created with the consumers and value unlocked in distribution; and industry should work together with the government to build a robust media environment.
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.
