Event Coverage
New Media: The Emergence of Convergence
The session started with Arun Arora, president, Bennet & Coleman, giving his views. On ‘Music In the age of convergence.’
‘Music is a hobby which has remained and grown, only the listening devices have changed giving the example of the progress from radio to cassette, to CDs to MP3. Every change has brought a rise in total sales. His suggestion – there has to be comprehensive distribution of music, in the sense that all the different kinds of music products should be available at one place.
Will Bratton of Spectrum Media & Telecom, talking about Interactive TV. For interactive TV to be successful in India, access to the broadband range, accessibility and availability of content and speed has to be improved. According to Bratton, gaming was the major service of the future.
Achille Forler, CEO, Silk Road Communications says that DTT (digital terrestrial transmission) will be the delivery system in India. The kind of mobility that DTT give cannot be provided by any other delivery system. The cost per channel will be much less on DTT and viewers will get choice, Forler said. The cost of the basic package will be very low. Even interactive TV is possible on this delivery system, he said.
Jasjit Saini, V-P, Consumer Devise, NDS, who spoke on the emergence of convergence, TV & Net said content will drive convergence. And it will happen on both devices, i.e on TV as well as on computers. Digital Broadcasting Technology and broadband Internet will intersect and complement each other to offer consumer access. It will also enhance content for consumer which will in turn enhance viewing, Saini said. “Ultimately, convergence will bring the best of Internet on Interactive TV and the Net will provide more in depth information about programming on TV.
Pradeep Gupta of Cyber Media said there were three key drivers of convergence – content, communication and device. Content in Internet broadband world has seen a radical change with vertical specialisation taking place. Elaborating on that he said that now all the different factors involved in production are now coming under one roof. The communication revolution is affecting the speed, location and delivery of content. “The devices will play a crucial role in the whole convergence game, as their portability, cost and applicability will decide the speed of convergence. True convergence in the industry is happening.”
Kiran Karnik, president Nasscom, who chaired the session, concluded by saying that there is a human angle to all the technological changes. He pointed out that what is possible and what will happen are two different things. And what is possible may not happen because of that same human factor, he noted.
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.
