Event Coverage
Q&A with UTV COO, Strategy & New Media, Biren Ghose
Ficci Frames has established itself as a networking unit by virtue of the quality of its speakers, says Biren Ghose, Chief Operating Officer – Strategy & New Media, UTV. This is especially relevant this year where the speaker’s roster on Frames 2002 reads like the Who’s Who of the global media industry.
What in your opinion is the current state of the Asian entertainment industry vis a vis the global scenario? This is particularly relevant for entities like UTV Toons that compete on a global platform.
The Asian television industry is entering a phase of greater maturity and one can begin to see the emerging leaders by region, language and genre. As regards animation, the Asian markets in China and Japan are beginning to see more original content than in other parts of Asia where channel brands and loyalties are being built up with a library content (dubbed into local languages in some cases). The animation market for children/youth will see more original content emerge from Asia as Taiwan, Korea and the Philippines begin to use their animation services hub to create local regional content.
How has it been affected by the recession?
By and large, the first half of the calender year 2001 delivered the projected growth rate in most countries/categories and it was only in the last quarter of the calender year that these growth rates were affected.
How have technological advances helped the industry grow in the last decade?
The main value addition in production and distribution that has impacted quality is the advent of digital revolution. Also, besides terrestial television, satellite and cable television has substantially enlarged the reach and penetration of this medium. Finally, infrastructure for compressing, uplinking and downloading video signals will create the opportunity for interactive television.
How will a forum like Ficci Frames 2002 help the industry find solutions to the problems facing the industry?
Frames has established itself as a networking unit by virtue of the quality of its speakers. The forum is meant to present trends in film, new media, broadcasting, etc and inevitably given the quality of participation, helps unify professionals around specific causes. Eg. financing of films.
What are the other objectives Ficci Frames will achieve by providing a meeting ground for professionals from the entertainment industry?
Conferences like Frames, which is a seminar on trends, help to build bridges across different media spectra.
As far as programming is concerned, is creativity being stifled in the interests of commercialisation?
No.
The Indian soap seems to be losing a bit of its sheen. Do you see new programming paradigms surfacing?
If anything, the last year clearly demonstrates the scalability and substantial revenue supremacy that soaps have shown viz-a-viz other genres eg. News, current affairs, etc.
As far as programming concerned, is there anything new that the panelists are bringing to Frames 2002 from last year’s session?
Not that I could gather from the programme.
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.
