Event Coverage
Television is here to stay, the screen may change
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MUMBAI: For consumers, the definition of television is changing. Television is coming out of the TV screen and entering into mobile, computer and other screens.
These were the thoughts presented by Intel Corporation futurist and director future casting and experience research Brian David Johnson.
Johnson was speaking at Ficci-Frames here before being in the panel on “TV delivery infrastructure for the future: Are we ready for it?”
Johnson said that the future of TV is all about experience. It has to be informative, ubiquitous, personal and social. He shared the data which said that by 2015, there will be over 500 billion hours of content, which can be received by 12-15 billion devices.
“TV will still remain in the people’s life. We all love TV,” Johnson quipped.
The other panellists were: Ericsson TV Solutions European and APac business development team VP Noel Matthews; Juch-Tech CEO Walt Juchniewicz; and Indusind Media and Communications (IMCL) director Ashok Mansukhani. Star CJ India CEO Paritosh Joshi moderated the session.
Taking the cue from Johnson, Matthews said that the future lies in multi-device and multi-consumption. “There will be many devices that people will use for media consumption. It is the service providers’ job to set up the infrastructure,” Matthews said.
Are we ready for the digital future? Mansukhani said the cable industry is ready to invest for the future, provided there is clarity on regulation and guidelines. “We are ready to invest in the digital system but we need more clarity on the regulation front and the policy on revenue sharing,” he said.
Juchniewicz added that he has seen tremendous growth in India and cited the example of mobile. He said that his experience in India has been “so far impressive” but cautioned that “litigation issues” should be solved. He noted that in the emerging markets like India, the mobile device can become central where people don’t have access to TV.
Taking the mobile growth story of India further, Joshi added that there are more than 750 million mobile subscribers in India and it may lead to mobile TV becoming the primary delivery system. But he pointed out that on TV people may watch long format content, but on mobile the shorter version works.
Johnson said that the formats will co-exist. Both Johnson and Matthews were in accordance that same people have different consumption patterns while using different devices. Short format content will fit on mobile devices while television viewers will enjoy long format content.
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.
