Kids

Cosmos Maya’s glocalisation plan for animation in India

Published

6 years ago

September 16, 2019

MUMBAI: Cosmos Maya, a Singapore and India-based animation company, has revealed its plan to explore the concept of glocalisation. It believes there is a need for glocalisation to pave the way for new ideas, concepts and different styles of storytelling. The company is all set to experiment with four international co-owned IPs in the Indian market. It has already launched Atchoo in the name of Jaadu ki Cheenk on Amazon Prime Video and the other three – OPS will be launched by the name My Bhoot Friend, Leo Da Vinci will be launched as Aryan and Berry Bees as Dabanng Girls by end of this financial year.

Cosmos Maya SVP revenue and corporate strategy Devdatta Potnis, in an interaction with Indiatelevision.com, spoke on the need for glocalisation. He said," We need glocalisation because we are so ingrained in our own style of storytelling. The kind of content that we have been consuming is the same. With the concept of glocalisation we will have new and different ideas coming in."

Stating an example of Doraemon, which is a Japanese show on an American network and one of the popular shows in India, Potnis said, "The show is a classic example of glocalisation. It is one of the anchor shows of one of the biggest networks mainly because of tdevhe way it has been localised. So glocalisation is there by necessity. We are open to looking at these but we will try and present them in a different way.”

He further informed, "We have four IPs and as the international market will open up, which I hope will in 2020, we will be on the verge of signing contracts." Out of the four international co-owned IPs one of them is out on Amazon- Atchoo is the English name and in Hindi it is Jaadu ki Cheenk. The other shows are in production."Today we have a bank of 104 half hours of international co-productions and it will be ready by the end of this financial year. There is going to be a slight change by the time, whether it is for a commercial reason or overall from an industry standpoint. We are going to be ready with shows," he said.

Potnis believes that there is lot to learn from not only the western market but from the market in the east also. He shared his views on exploring the opportunities in China. He said, "If we look at the east, my current focus area is China; we have recently been interacting with a couple of Chinese companies. That market is so evolved and has quality offering for the domestic market."

Giving an insight into the domestic front, Potnis said, "The beauty of this industry is that a lot of us cannot predict what is coming next. Something becomes a success and then we try to reverse engineer saying this is what we want. It is upon us, the creative studio, to bring in such novelty and make it reach to such a destination that it is familiarity with novelty. It should be familiar as you want to sample it for that reason and it should be novel to prick your interest."

Understanding the market trend, Cosmos Maya set up its 2D division after the 3D one to cater to the demand in the domestic market. "Generally that’s not how it works. Sometime back in 2014, our first 2D show went on air, which is Kisna with Discovery Kids and now we see a shift that there is so much demand for 2D. In fact, next year there is like a massive line-up of 2D shows,” he explained.

He further said, "Initially when I go back to 2012- there was a demand from the pay-TV broadcasters that started out and the demand has been growing consistently. Of course, not everything can be continuously on an exponential growth track and yet have a CAGR which is very fancy. But then that would kind of taper when we had OTT come in 2-3 years ago. It’s still growing effectively as a quantum growth. When that demand has kind of tapered, our own OTT platform has grown. YouTube is doing really well for us; we have been looking at diversifying into other platforms. Every time there has been a growth trajectory, the level goes up automatically. We are foraying into the licensing and merchandising space as well, which will now be the next one. I think something or the other will keep coming in."

While speaking on the opportunities, Potnis opined that there is a need to take something from India to the global market. He added that licensing & merchandising is another opportunity as is WowKidz. The company will also launch another IP called Bapu on 2 October. It had made an announcement in January that the show will be out on the 150th anniversary of Gandhiji.

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Kids

Om Nom bites into India as Warner Bros. Discovery picks up the series

Published

1 month ago

January 20, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: The little green hero is making a big leap east. Zeptolab has struck a major distribution deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing its hit animated series Om Nom Stories to audiences across the Indian subcontinent.

Under the agreement, Warner Bros. Discovery has acquired the series for exclusive Pay TV broadcast and non-exclusive digital streaming in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The move marks a significant expansion for Zeptolab as it pushes one of its most successful original IPs into one of the world’s fastest-growing entertainment markets.

As part of the deal, all 26 seasons of Om Nom Stories will be rolled out across Cartoon Network, Pogo, Discovery Kids and Discovery+, offering both linear and digital access to the franchise’s slapstick humour and expressive, dialogue-free storytelling.

“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Warner Bros. Discovery to bring Om Nom Stories to the Indian subcontinent,” said Zeptolab executive producer Manaf Hassan, noting that the broadcaster’s reach and legacy make it a strong fit for the series’ growing global fanbase.

Warner Bros. Discovery, meanwhile, sees the acquisition as a natural addition to its children’s portfolio. Warner Bros. Discovery head of factual entertainment, lifestyle and kids for South Asia Sai Abishek, said the series aligns with the network’s focus on cheerful, imaginative and universally appealing content for families across the region.

The timing adds an extra layer of significance. The expansion coincides with Om Nom’s 15th anniversary, underlining the franchise’s staying power and its evolution from a mobile game character into a global animation brand. With this latest bite at the Indian subcontinent, Om Nom’s adventures look set to find a whole new generation of fans.

Kids

Colour outside the lines Chhota Bheem sketches a new play with Faber Castell

Published

2 months ago

January 9, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: If childhood memories had a colour palette, Chhota Bheem would likely be right in the middle of it and now, quite literally, in children’s pencil boxes too. Green Gold Animation has announced a landmark licensing partnership with Faber-Castell India, marking the global stationery major’s first-ever licensed character collaboration. The association brings Chhota Bheem to a specially curated range of student art and creative products, blending everyday learning tools with one of India’s most recognisable homegrown characters.

The move is a notable expansion of Chhota Bheem’s footprint beyond screens, reinforcing the character’s status as a multi-generational IP that has steadily grown from a television favourite into a cultural constant. For Green Gold Animation, the partnership signals a sharpened focus on extending its intellectual property into daily touchpoints, where entertainment meets education and habit.

In its first phase, the collaboration will roll out Chhota Bheem-themed products across key student art categories, including watercolour cakes, wax crayons, poster colours, sketch pens, oil pastels and creative bundling kits. The range is aimed squarely at school-going children, tapping into Bheem’s strong emotional connect while encouraging imagination, creativity and hands-on expression.

Green Gold Animation founder and CEO Rajiv Chilaka noted that Chhota Bheem’s journey has long moved beyond episodic storytelling. He said the partnership reflects a deliberate attempt to embed the character into moments of learning and creativity, while building a more purpose-led licensing ecosystem around Indian IP through collaboration with a globally established brand.

From Faber-Castell India’s perspective, the tie-up marks a strategic first. Faber-Castell India director marketing Sonali Shah said the collaboration opens a new chapter by pairing the brand’s long-standing reputation for quality and safety with a character that already commands trust and affection among Indian children. The aim, she added, is to make creativity more engaging and relatable without diluting product standards.

The launch will be backed by a 360-degree promotional push, spanning digital campaigns, social media storytelling, creative usage content and on-ground retail activations across select markets. Both companies have confirmed that this is only the starting point, with additional Chhota Bheem-themed products across new categories planned in the months ahead.

Headquartered in Hyderabad, Green Gold Animation continues to scale its ambition of building globally competitive Indian IPs, with Chhota Bheem leading the charge. This latest collaboration suggests that the brand’s next phase of growth may be less about what children watch and more about what they create.

Kids

Sony tightens grip on Peanuts with $457 million stake buy

Published

2 months ago

December 22, 2025

indiantelevision.com Team

JAPAN: Sony has doubled down on the power of legacy brands, snapping up a majority stake in the Peanuts intellectual property in a late-year deal valued at about $457 million.

Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment Japan have acquired the roughly 41 per cent holding in Peanuts Holdings LLC previously owned by Canadian children’s entertainment company WildBrain. The move lifts Sony’s ownership to 80 per cent, with the Schulz family retaining the remaining 20 per cent.

The deal brings one of pop culture’s most durable franchises, home to Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang, firmly under the Sony umbrella. The characters were created by Charles M Schulz, whose daily comic strip ran for half a century before ending in 2000.

Sony had already been a long-time partner in the business. The latest transaction consolidates control and sharpens the group’s hand as it looks to keep the characters front and centre across film, television, music and consumer products.

President and group ceo of Sony Music Entertainment Japan, Shunsuke Muramatsu, said the additional stake would allow Sony to further elevate the Peanuts brand by drawing on the group’s global reach and creative expertise, while preserving the legacy of Schulz and his family.

President and ceo of Sony Pictures, Ravi Ahuja, said the combined ownership gives Sony the ability to protect and shape the future of the characters for new generations, expanding their relevance without diluting their charm.

Peanuts long ago escaped the confines of the comic strip, cementing its place in popular culture through perennial television specials such as A Charlie Brown Christmas and It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. More recently, WildBrain kept the franchise active with animated series including Snoopy in Space and The Snoopy Show.

Now, with Sony firmly in control, the message is unmistakable. In an industry obsessed with the next big thing, nostalgia still sells and Sony is betting big on a doghouse that refuses to age.