logo
Anime India, the Country's Largest Japanese Anime Convention Announced: Brings Global Anime Icons

Anime India, the Country's Largest Japanese Anime Convention Announced: Brings Global Anime Icons

PNN
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 16: Anime enthusiasts across India are in for the time of their lives this August as Anime India - the first and largest ever full-scale anime convention, a festival focusing on Japanese anime - is set to be held from 22 to 24 August at Hall 1 of Mumbai's NESCO Bombay Exhibition Centre.
A host of immersive experiences have been planned for fans at Anime India: conversations with Japanese anime maestro directors, voice-over talents, fan panels, anime film festivals, cosplay competition, singing contests, artist alleys, an anime concert, anime quizzes, and more.
Die-hard fans can also dive deep into the merchandise zone and purchase original merchandise.
Anime India is already being talked about as a landmark event amongst the community of 100 million Indian Japanese anime enthusiasts. Tetsuro Araki, the acclaimed animation director behind global phenomena such as Attack on Titan and Death Note, is flying in for his first-ever visit to India. Araki will be the key special guest at Anime India, the nation's largest anime convention.
Anime India marks a monumental moment for the rapidly growing Indian anime community, offering an unparalleled opportunity to engage directly with one of the most influential figures in modern animation. Tetsuro Araki's visionary work has captivated billions worldwide, with Attack on Titan receiving widespread critical acclaim and a massive global fanbase, and Death Note remaining a timeless psychological thriller.
Also in attendance will be Hideo Katsumata, the President of Avex Pictures behind top anime series like Black Clover, Gachiakuta, and the 2024 Crunchyroll Anime Awards winner, Look Back. At the B2B collocated conference, Animation & More Summit, Susume Fukunaga, Corporate Officer of The Pokemon Company, will be attending as a speaker.
"We are incredibly honored to host Tetsuro Araki for his inaugural visit to India," says Anime India organiser Neha Mehta. "His presence elevates Anime India to a global stage and underscores the immense passion for anime that exists within our country. This is a dream come true for countless fans who have been inspired by his groundbreaking work."
"We are really excited to bring the first anime convention to India. This is something I, as an anime fan, truly wanted to see happen. We are also excited to see Katsumata-san, a global legend in the anime space speaking at the event" exclaims Mishaal Wanvari, organiser, Anime India.
Anime India will have a lot more going on, promising an immersive experience for all attendees:
* An Exclusive Panel and Q & A with Tetsuro Araki: Fans will have the chance to hear directly from the director about his creative process, inspirations, and the intricate worlds he has brought to life.
* Meet and Greet with Voice Actors: Fans have the chance to meet freelance Japanese voice actor Tsunko, who will be traveling to perform at the event.
* Grand Anime Concert: On 24 August, the convention will host a spectacular anime concert, bringing beloved anisongs to life.
* Dynamic Cosplay Competition: Witness incredible talent as cosplayers dress up as their favorite characters, vying for top honors.
* Engaging Anime Quiz: Test your knowledge in a lively quiz challenging fans on all thing anime.
* Singing Contest: The best artists from across the country assemble at Anime India to show off their singing prowess.
* Expansive Merchandising Expo Zone: Our professional expo area will feature official licensed merchandise from globally popular IPs, including Demon Slayer, Attack on Titan, Spy x Family, Tokyo Revengers, and Naruto, ensuring fans can take home authentic collectables.
* Artists Alley and Cosplayers Circuit: For the first time in India, over 24 extensively vetted independent artists and cosplay creators from the anime community will be exhibiting at the event, selling original work and explicitly permitted derivative works.
* Fandom Realm: Eight fandom communities, including anime clubs, gaming communities, and other interest groups such as Vocaloid fans, will be setting up experiences for fans right on the Anime India show floor.
* Fan Panels: Panels span the 3-day schedule of Anime India across our 3 stages, bringing anime fan panel culture to India on an extensive scale, having not just in-depth explorations of the media that we love but also game shows, and so much more!
* Maid Cafe: Come experience the authentic Maid Cafe experience for the first time at an event in India.
* Anime Film Festival: Exciting film and TV anime screenings, with behind-the-scenes footage, exclusively at Anime India!
Anime India aims to be the ultimate celebration of Japanese pop culture, fostering a vibrant community and providing a platform for fans to connect with their favorite series and creators.
The historic visit by Tetsuro Araki is expected to draw record attendance and further solidify India's position on the global anime map.
Tickets for Anime India can be purchased from Zomato's District ticketing platform and are available in four brackets: Rs. 199, Rs. 299 and Rs. 799, and Rs. 1499.
Event Details:
* Event: Anime India
* Dates: August 22nd - 24th, 2025
* Location: Mumbai, India (NESCO Bombay Exhibition Centre)
* Special Guest: Tetsuro Araki (Director of Attack on Titan, Death Note)
* Tickets: https://link.district.in/DSTRKT/AnimeIndiaPartnerAds
* Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/animeindia.live
About Anime India:
Anime India is set to be India's largest and most comprehensive anime convention, dedicated to celebrating the rich world of Japanese animation and pop culture. With a focus on bringing official content, exclusive experiences, and renowned international guests to Indian shores, Anime India aims to be the premier destination for anime fans across the subcontinent.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Talent winning out at Indian gaming companies as focus shifts to high-end titles
Talent winning out at Indian gaming companies as focus shifts to high-end titles

Time of India

time13 minutes ago

  • Time of India

Talent winning out at Indian gaming companies as focus shifts to high-end titles

As Indian gaming studios double down on building ambitious, homegrown IPs—with bigger budgets, slicker visuals, and more intricate gameplay—the race for specialised talent is heating up. India's gaming industry is estimated to have 50,000–60,000 open roles across various experience levels, according to staffing firm TeamLease Digital. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads As Indian gaming studios increasingly develop advanced intellectual properties with large budgets, strong visual design and complex gameplay mechanics, the demand for specialised talent is rising sharply. According to staffing firm TeamLease Digital, India's gaming industry has 50,000-60,000 open positions across fresher and experienced such as experienced gameplay engineers, backend developers, principal animators, 3D artists and environment designers are in demand, according to industry executives and studio industry now employs around 130,000 people, compared with 50,000 in 2022.'The Indian gaming industry is hiring a combination of technical and creative skill sets,' said TeamLease Digital chief executive Neeti roles in demand include game developers (especially with skills in Unity or Unreal platforms), backend engineers for multiplayer games, 3D artists, animators and game gaming startup LightFury Games, which has a team of around 80, is hiring for roles across animation, game art, backend infrastructure and gameplay engineering, said cofounder Anurag Banerjee.'We need to hire another 30-40 people at least… What we look for is talent that we can nurture and train to that degree that they can now start building AAA titles ,' Banerjee told gaming parlance, an AAA rating refers to a classification given to big-budget, high-profile video games developed and published by major studios. It is not an official rating, but an industry term. AAA games often have tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in development year, the studio raised $8.5 million from Blume Ventures, Mixi and Gemba Capital, with Cred founder Kunal Shah and Unacademy CEO Gaurav Munjal also participating in the funding. It recently unveiled its first title, E-Cricket, a big-budget 'AAA' game being developed in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), slated for launch in SuperGaming, currently expanding its team for its flagship Indus Battle Royale game, said while developers can earn through casual games like Teen Patti or Ludo, the challenge lies in finding talent motivated to build high-quality, technically complex titles.'A good gaming studio takes 10 years to be successful and to make a video game great, you have to assemble 20 different kinds of teams including engineering, narrators, art, music, servers, marketing. It is a task of complex coordination, and you can do it only with experience,' said founder and CEO Roby company has hired over 25 professionals who previously worked at global studios like Ubisoft, indicating a trend of reverse brain drain , where experienced talent is returning to India to build homegrown address local talent gaps, SuperGaming has also tapped into global hiring. The company employs full-time international staffers through its Singapore-based entity, SuperGaming Pte Ltd, said approach contrasts with other studios that often rely on freelance talent to fill immediate too, has focused on bringing back experienced Indian professionals who've worked on global AAA titles, and is also hiring internationally for some niche roles, said cofounder Tina shift is being driven by multiple forces including rising investor interest in gaming startups, the emergence of high-end mobile-first formats, and easier access to global development tools and cloud growing optimism, scaling a game studio remains a long and capital-intensive top-tier talent, especially professionals with experience in console or PC gaming, continues to be a major casual games, building mid-core or AAA titles typically demands years of sustained investment before any meaningful returns are realised.'A lot of the talent that (in India) is experienced in casual games, and in simulation-based games. Also, there's product and live operations talent available for mobile games,' said Anuj Tandon, partner at Bitkraft Ventures. 'But what's largely missing from India is the experience in certain genres, game designers and very specific technical talent. There's a lot of young, fresh talent, but the experience level is missing.'At the same time, artificial intelligence is starting to play a key role in reducing development timelines and production costs. Studios are beginning to integrate AI tools to create smarter non-player characters (NPCs), generate realistic and dynamic game environments, personalise gameplay, enhance graphics and visual effects, and streamline overall development processes.'If you're not using AI, you're living under a rock. It has impacted game development timelines and efficiency. Has it replaced people? Absolutely not. But it has made people more efficient, and studios are adopting it in smarter, more cost-effective ways,' said Tandon of Bitkraft Ventures. 'Three to five years down the line, when AI is mainstream and we have a stronger talent pool and core skills, it's going to be very transformative for emerging markets like India.'However, studios caution that while AI enhances efficiency, the quality of a game still hinges on the creativity and collaboration of skilled to Avichal Singh, cofounder of Nodding Heads Games, AI is just another tool in a developer's toolkit and the core principles of what makes a great game remain unchanged.'It can help you get there faster, or even help you check for your idea, whether it's valid or not, faster. But beyond that, you will still need those skill sets, which are required to make video games,' he said.

Talent winning out at Indian gaming companies as focus shifts to high-end titles
Talent winning out at Indian gaming companies as focus shifts to high-end titles

Economic Times

time13 minutes ago

  • Economic Times

Talent winning out at Indian gaming companies as focus shifts to high-end titles

ETtech As Indian gaming studios increasingly develop advanced intellectual properties with large budgets, strong visual design and complex gameplay mechanics, the demand for specialised talent is rising sharply. According to staffing firm TeamLease Digital, India's gaming industry has 50,000-60,000 open positions across fresher and experienced such as experienced gameplay engineers, backend developers, principal animators, 3D artists and environment designers are in demand, according to industry executives and studio founders. The industry now employs around 130,000 people, compared with 50,000 in 2022. 'The Indian gaming industry is hiring a combination of technical and creative skill sets,' said TeamLease Digital chief executive Neeti Sharma. Key roles in demand include game developers (especially with skills in Unity or Unreal platforms), backend engineers for multiplayer games, 3D artists, animators and game designers. Bengaluru-based gaming startup LightFury Games, which has a team of around 80, is hiring for roles across animation, game art, backend infrastructure and gameplay engineering, said cofounder Anurag Banerjee. 'We need to hire another 30-40 people at least… What we look for is talent that we can nurture and train to that degree that they can now start building AAA titles,' Banerjee told ET. In gaming parlance, an AAA rating refers to a classification given to big-budget, high-profile video games developed and published by major studios. It is not an official rating, but an industry term. AAA games often have tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in development year, the studio raised $8.5 million from Blume Ventures, Mixi and Gemba Capital, with Cred founder Kunal Shah and Unacademy CEO Gaurav Munjal also participating in the funding. It recently unveiled its first title, E-Cricket, a big-budget 'AAA' game being developed in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), slated for launch in SuperGaming, currently expanding its team for its flagship Indus Battle Royale game, said while developers can earn through casual games like Teen Patti or Ludo, the challenge lies in finding talent motivated to build high-quality, technically complex titles.'A good gaming studio takes 10 years to be successful and to make a video game great, you have to assemble 20 different kinds of teams including engineering, narrators, art, music, servers, marketing. It is a task of complex coordination, and you can do it only with experience,' said founder and CEO Roby John. The company has hired over 25 professionals who previously worked at global studios like Ubisoft, indicating a trend of reverse brain drain, where experienced talent is returning to India to build homegrown IPs. To address local talent gaps, SuperGaming has also tapped into global hiring. The company employs full-time international staffers through its Singapore-based entity, SuperGaming Pte Ltd, said approach contrasts with other studios that often rely on freelance talent to fill immediate too, has focused on bringing back experienced Indian professionals who've worked on global AAA titles, and is also hiring internationally for some niche roles, said cofounder Tina shift is being driven by multiple forces including rising investor interest in gaming startups, the emergence of high-end mobile-first formats, and easier access to global development tools and cloud infrastructure. Long road Despite growing optimism, scaling a game studio remains a long and capital-intensive top-tier talent, especially professionals with experience in console or PC gaming, continues to be a major casual games, building mid-core or AAA titles typically demands years of sustained investment before any meaningful returns are realised.'A lot of the talent that (in India) is experienced in casual games, and in simulation-based games. Also, there's product and live operations talent available for mobile games,' said Anuj Tandon, partner at Bitkraft Ventures. 'But what's largely missing from India is the experience in certain genres, game designers and very specific technical talent. There's a lot of young, fresh talent, but the experience level is missing.' AI's growing role At the same time, artificial intelligence is starting to play a key role in reducing development timelines and production costs. Studios are beginning to integrate AI tools to create smarter non-player characters (NPCs), generate realistic and dynamic game environments, personalise gameplay, enhance graphics and visual effects, and streamline overall development processes. 'If you're not using AI, you're living under a rock. It has impacted game development timelines and efficiency. Has it replaced people? Absolutely not. But it has made people more efficient, and studios are adopting it in smarter, more cost-effective ways,' said Tandon of Bitkraft Ventures. 'Three to five years down the line, when AI is mainstream and we have a stronger talent pool and core skills, it's going to be very transformative for emerging markets like India.' However, studios caution that while AI enhances efficiency, the quality of a game still hinges on the creativity and collaboration of skilled to Avichal Singh, cofounder of Nodding Heads Games, AI is just another tool in a developer's toolkit and the core principles of what makes a great game remain unchanged.'It can help you get there faster, or even help you check for your idea, whether it's valid or not, faster. But beyond that, you will still need those skill sets, which are required to make video games,' he said. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Apple has a new Indian-American COO. What it needs might be a new CEO. Central banks existential crisis — between alchemy and algorithm What if Tata Motors buys Iveco's truck unit? Will it propel or drag like JLR? Paid less than plumbers? The real story of freshers' salaries at Infy, TCS. Stock Radar: HDFC AMC gives a breakout from Cup & Handle pattern to hit fresh highs – time to buy or book profits? These large-caps have 'strong buy' & 'buy' recos and an upside potential of more than 20% Weekly Top Picks: These stocks scored 10 on 10 on Stock Reports Plus Stock picks of the week: 4 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of more than 19% in 1 year

Bar-galore on High Spirits
Bar-galore on High Spirits

New Indian Express

time13 minutes ago

  • New Indian Express

Bar-galore on High Spirits

India's growing cocktail culture had a lot to celebrate last week, with the announcement of Asia's 50 Best Bars 2025 in Macau. While five Indian bars made it to the prestigious list, it was Bengaluru that led the charge, with three of its establishments, SOKA at No. 28, ZLB23 at No. 31, and Bar Spirit Forward at No. 37, winning international recognition. For a city once known primarily for its pub culture, this marks a definitive turning point. Bengaluru's cocktail scene is not only maturing, it's helping redefine what an Indian bar can be: inventive, rooted, and ready for the world stage. 'It's an incredible moment,' says Guru Shivaram, director at Investorant Platforms, which backed Bar Spirit Forward from the start. 'When we first supported Arijit's vision, it felt bold and ambitious. But this recognition confirms that Bengaluru's cocktail culture is ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.' At the heart of this shift are bars that bring together global technique with local inspiration. ZLB23, for instance, is an elegant speakeasy hidden behind the kitchen corridors of The Leela Palace Bengaluru. With its Kyoto-inspired interiors, live jazz, and theatrical drinks, it evokes the Prohibition era while remaining firmly Indian in soul. 'This recognition speaks volumes about the evolution of India's bar landscape,' says Madhav Sehgal, Area Vice President – Operations South at The Leela. 'We're weaving cultural narratives, embracing native ingredients, and sharing India's story with the world, one cocktail at a time.' Their recently launched 'Native Section' menu draws from the region's own pantry: Coco Fizz with tender coconut, Annanas with Rani pineapple, and Fire and Water, a smoky concoction featuring bhajji chilli, are among the standouts.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store