Event Coverage

Corporatisation key to TV content financing effort

Published

23 years ago

March 14, 2003

MUMBAI: The verdict of the Venture Capital (VC) Financing and Mentoring session on the opening day of the FICCI Frames 2003 was clearly in favour of corporate governance and more transparency in the media business.

UTV chairman Ronnie Screwvala moderated the discussion which had an illustrious panel comprising Passionfund CEO Mahesh Murthy, Ambit Finance Pte MD Ashok Wadhwa and Enam Financial Consultants Mahesh Chhabria.

Screwvala summed up the discussions by stating that the media cum entertainment business was less about stars, personalities, characters; and more about good content; responsible management; sustainable, predictable and repeated growth. He stated that there is hope if mindsets change and the consolidation process continues. However, media entrepreneurs need not stop dreaming as there was sufficient money to back their dreams as long as they did the right things. Clearly the trend was more about proof of delivery rather than proof of concept – which was what happened in the past.

Screwvala also pointed out that the media sector attracted negative publicity due to the plethora of controversies which revolved around the media sector. He also pointed out that there was a lot of misconceptions prevailing amongst the outside world about the working of the media and entertainment industry. He advocated greater need and focus on the part of the media industry constituents to communicate and demystify the working of the industry.

When asked about the need for consolidation amongst TV content producers, Screwvala added: “The consolidation process already started happening long back. Earlier, the top production houses managed to bag 30-40 hours of programming but the current dominant leaders have more than 300-400 hours in their kitty. What is required is a change in mindset and understanding of ground realities!”

Ashok Wadhwa said the bad news is that VCs in the television content business no longer exist – what remains is private equity funding. The so-called ‘VCs’ lost so much money in the last two years that they have become hesitant. TV producers will find it difficult to get funding in the current scenario wherein 5000 producers are chasing 1000 hours of TV content.

The TV content business desperately needs consolidation where creative minds will join hands to become more responsible. If they come together, then there will be greater amount of corporate responsibility, corporate governance and sustainable business models. There would also be a greater chance of sustainability and scale.

Creative talent alone or substantial funding alone cannot create sustainable products or deliveries. Therefore, the existing ‘larger than life” creative minds who run production business must stamp out their egos and become realistic.

Movies and films have a better chance of getting more funds as there is substantial interest developing in recent times. SSKI’s IDreams is a good example of the same.

VCs are bullish on the radio sector and two of the private sector radio networks have recently obtained a large funding. However , the government regulations are a hindrance in this case. Global studios will start looking at India in a big way and bring about change – in terms or capabilities and expertise.

As large Indian corporates who have a track record of creating success stories enter the media and entertainment business, there is a greater chance of attracting more funds.

Passionfund CEO Mahesh Murthy Being a VC in the Indian entertainment business is a bad idea in today’s scenario. Indian media companies must learn to be “exitable” or offer exit routes to VCs. VC have suffered losses as Indian media companies haven’t given them chance to sell out or sell to the public – the only ways in which a VC can make money. VCs clearly prefer IPO (initial public offering) options to the dreams shown by BPO (business process outsourcing) possibilities. Media companies should ask themselves the following questions – “Will my business have the size and growth to go public and keep growing?” and “Will it have the intellectual property and capabilities to sustain its loyal base of customers?”

The Indian media industry’s biggest pitfall revolves around the fact that most of the business is driven around personalities. However, no media personality can claim to have an eternal golden touch. Merging creative people with corporate governance is a difficult task.

Indian media companies need to look beyond personalities and create institutions which will ensure that the business continues to exist beyond the lifetime of the individuals. The most striking example includes Walt Disney.

The whole idea of undercutting on price will be beneficial as long as the volume game exists. Media companies must bargain for intellectual property share deals whenever they offer huge discounts.

Media companies need to consolidate and develop multiple revenue streams – multiplexes, distribution, cable business properties so on and so forth. Instead of sitting tight with successes in one form of media, there is a need to extend the successes across multimedia channels. There is a need to leverage indigenous characters such as Gabbar Singh or a Quick Gun Murugan or a Tenali Raman or a Birbal not just in the mediums where they gained popularity but across multiple media. For instance Gabbar Singh radio shows.

Enam Financial Consultant CEO Mahesh Chhabria There is a substantial amount of money and funds but poor sentiments affect the channelising of these funds into the media and entertainment sector.

Every media company goes through its phases such as initiation, growth, maturity and decline. Indian companies have been getting funding during the initial stages but the funding declines as the companies fail to deliver as per the VC’s expectation. Clearly the trend was more about proof of delivery rather than proof of concept – which was what happened in the past.

Indian media companies have failed to create sustainable media properties, create workable business system models, tackle competition, develop alternate business models, and ensure adequate returns to investors through corporate governance. The companies have also failed to develop scalable models.

Indian media entrepreneurs have failed when it comes to rejuvenating in the face of constant change, have limited risk appetite and reluctance to dilute stakes at the right time.

So, the writing is on the wall! Don’t stop dreaming or aspiring as the money bags are waiting for the right idea and the correct approach!

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Event Coverage

Anime India announces Amazon MX Player as co-presenting partner for Anime India Kolkata 2026

Published

1 month ago

January 28, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

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.

*Glimpses of Anime India Mumbai edition*

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.

Event Coverage

Transcend Goa Day 2 closes with a vision for cross‑border storytelling and shared narratives

Published

2 months ago

January 16, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

Day two of Transcend Goa 2026 built on the momentum of the opening day and offered a deeper dive into the possibilities of transmedia storytelling and IP creation. Through a mix of panel discussions, and visionary presentations, the second day highlighted both the challenges and opportunities of building story worlds that thrived across platforms, leaving participants inspired by the breadth of ideas and collaborations that were showcased.

The second day began with the session Transmedia History of Japan Manga/Anime/Game IPs in the Partnership of East Asia. The session explored the evolution of Japanese manga, anime, and game IPs as transmedia ecosystems, shaped through long‑standing collaborations across East Asia. The speaker for the session was RE Entertainment CEO & president Atsuo Nakayama.

L to R: Ankur Pathak, Dhruv Jagasia, Tarana eddy and Caleb Franklin

The session ahead was titled A World Where Narratives are Currency. It explored how powerful narratives function as both creative and commercial currency, shaping brands, fandoms, and franchises in the global media landscape. Speakers included Big Bad Wolf founder Dhruv Jagasia, Matter Entertainment founder & CEO Caleb Franklin, Storiculture transmedia producer Tarana Reddy, with the discussion moderated by writer Ankur Pathak.

The next session post‑lunch was Building Mugafi into a Transmedia Giant. It took a deep dive into transforming Mugafi into a scalable, story‑driven ecosystem. The discussion explored how IP development, technology, and creator communities converge to build a transmedia platform that nurtures talent, expands narratives, and unlocks global opportunities. The speaker for this session was Mugafi founder Vipul Agrawal.

The session titled From Collectibles to Culture – Toys, Merchandising & Global Transmedia Value Chains focused on merchandising and consumer products. It examined how toys, collectibles, and licensing strategies can expand a story’s reach and create sustainable value chains across film, television, gaming, and more. Speakers included Weta head of consumer products Kim Faiga and Weta consumer products sales manager Jack Oolders, with the discussion moderated by Bulletproof Entertainment founder Harish Rao.

L to R: Sunder Aaron, Charuvi Agrawal, Manvendra Shukla and Milind Shinde

The last session for the day was titled The Next Wave of Global IP – Connecting India, Asia & the West. It spotlighted emerging intellectual properties that bridge continents and cultures, highlighting collaborative projects linking creators in India, Asia, and the West. By showcasing case studies on scaling IP across borders, the discussion underscored how co‑productions and shared narratives can reach audiences worldwide. Speakers included 88 Pictures founder & CEO Milind Shinde, CDL TV CEO Charuvi Agrawal, writer Binky Mendez, and Lakshya Digital CEO Manvendra Shukul, with the discussion moderated by Locomotive Global founder Sunder Aaron.

Transcend Goa 2026, concluded with closing remarks from Rao and representatives of the government of Goa, followed by a networking evening. The sessions across the event captured the spirit of collaboration and innovation, showcasing how transmedia storytelling and IP creation can transcend borders, formats, and industries. As the event drew to a close, participants left with renewed inspiration, strengthened connections, and a shared vision for the future of global media and entertainment.

Event Coverage

Transcend Goa 2026 Day 1 showcases India’s journey in storytelling, IP creation and transmedia content

Published

2 months ago

January 16, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

Day One of Transcend Goa 2026 marked a significant step for India’s creative industries, as the inaugural transmedia conclave unfolded at the Marquinez Palace in Panjim on 15 January. The summit brought together leading voices from cinema, publishing, gaming, animation and emerging technologies to discuss how stories can move fluidly across formats and reach audiences in new ways.

Conceived as a platform to showcase India’s growing strength in original IP and cross‑media innovation, the conclave set out to highlight the country’s transition from service‑driven work to globally recognised creative leadership. With the support of the Government of Goa, the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) and Goa Future Proof curated the event to spark dialogue on the future of storytelling and its impact on culture and commerce.

L to R: Sanjay Ram, Shobha Sant, Veerendra Patil, Monisha Advani and Vijay Koshy

The day opened with an address by a Government of Goa representative and ESG chief executive officer Asvin Chandru. He said, “Goa has been envisioned as a future facing space where cinema, publishing, gaming, technology and artificial intelligence converge, reflecting the state’s ambition to emerge as a hub for creative, innovation and cultural exchange. Over the next two days, we hope this conclave inspires meaningful dialog, learning and collaboration across disciplines.”

Next, government of Goa chief secretary and planning secretary V Candavelou took the stage, setting the tone for the discussions ahead. He noted, “You all know that transmedia storytelling has undergone a transformational change. With the evolving of new technologies, this storytelling keeps on changing. The Transcend Goa summit is making this platform available to all the stakeholders to exhibit their talents. I hope that these two days spark meaningful conversation and ideas for the future.”

The event was graced by Goa’s chief minister Dr Pramod Sawant. “Transcend Goa is a simple idea to create a space where the culture meets technology, creates a space where the creativity connects with opportunity,” he said taking the stage. “The summit is also a pilot. It allows us to learn and understand how Goa can position itself as a large, creative and digital economy. Even small steps matter when we move in the right direction. If this discussion is of value to the creators’ businesses and the students, then these efforts will serve its purpose.”

He further said, “Goa always attracted the artist and thinkers. Today, it also has the students who code, design, animate, write and build the digital products. This summit gives them the exposure. This platform can open new doors and sparks new ideas. The government of Goa has extended support to Transcend Goa because we believe in the enabling of this platform. The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) has been entrusted and with the responsibility because it understands the culture landscape and has the capacity to execute such initiatives. We see the summit as a part of the larger efforts, our efforts to strengthen the Goa’s creative economy.”

The keynote was delivered by Creativeland Group chairman Sajan Raj Kurup, who underscored the importance of building narratives and transmedia content that resonate across platforms and markets.

The day opened with the session Beyond the Screen: Creating Stories that Travel, which examined how narratives moved across film, television, games, social media and immersive experiences. It considered strategies for designing stories that adapted and engaged audiences across formats. Speakers included Emmay Entertainment producer partner and CEO Monisha Advani, Zebu Animation co‑founder and creative director Veerendra Patil, TVF president Vijay Koshy and Creativeland Studios CEO Shobha Sant, with the discussion moderated by Mediasmiths founder Sanjay Ram.

The session The Evolution of India’s Media Ecosystem: Transitioning from Outsourcing to Transmedia IP Creation examined how India’s media sector moved from providing back‑end services to developing original intellectual property that attracted global investment. Speakers included Punnaryug Artvision founder Ashish Kulkarni, Brhat founder Raghav Krishna, with the discussion moderated by Bulletproof Entertainment founder Harish Rao.

Post lunch, the session India’s Original IP Powerhouse: The Raj/Alpha Comics Story presented a case study on how publishers such as Raj Comics and Alpha Comics developed Indian superhero stories into transmedia properties. Speakers included Raj Comics founder Sanjay Gupta, Raj Comics and Alpha Comics founder Vasu Gupta, with the discussion moderated by Animation Xpress India director Mishaal Wanvari.

The session The Art of Creating Multiplatform Narratives explored the craft of building cohesive story worlds that unfolded across film, television, games, social media and other formats. It considered approaches to creative planning, audience engagement and maintaining narrative consistency while using the strengths of each medium. Speakers included filmmaker Raja Krishna Menon, filmmaker Reema Maya and filmmaker Q, with the discussion moderated by Mediasmiths founder Ram.

Harish Rao (left) felicitating Vignesh Raja

The session AR Rahman’s Secret Mountain: Building a Transmedia Music Universe introduced the composer’s latest project, Secret Mountain. It highlighted India’s first Meta Band and explored its potential across music, digital platforms and immersive experiences. The presenter for this session was Secret Mountain cofounder Vignesh Raja.

The last session of the day, Animating Success: Green Gold Entertainment’s Journey, highlighted Green Gold Entertainment founder Rajiv Chilaka and his team’s work in building one of India’s leading original animation studios. It traced how Green Gold Entertainment created hit franchises such as Chhota Bheem, developed a merchandise and licensing strategy, and showed that Indian stories could find global resonance. The session featured Chilaka in conversation with Bulletproof Entertainment founder Harish Rao.

The day concluded with a lively networking evening, leaving participants energised and looking forward to the sessions on the second day.