by The presence of Japanese anime in the Indian market
In India, anime is often associated with children’s entertainment, with a strong preference for slice-of-life comedies and easy-to-understand Cartoon Network series. As a result, complex content, like Studio Ghibli films, that are also targeted at adults, is often not released in theaters. Even when domestic anime productions are made domestically, the industry and market in India have relied mainly on outsourcing. This has hindered significant development.
However, in recent years, this has changed dramatically. While digitalization and the spread of streaming services have helped to change this since the late 2010s, the impact of COVID-19 remains significant. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the postponement of major Bollywood and Tollywood films, abandoning theatrical releases and instead switching to streaming services.
This has led to the establishment of the current anime film market, with Hollywood and animated titles filling the gaps. While limited audiences in the Tokyo metropolitan area are often limited to English subtitles or Hindi dubbing, making viewing difficult in rural areas, new releases are regularly released, with upcoming releases such as “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Castle Arc Chapter 1: Akaza Returns” and “Chainsaw Man: Reze Arc.” In addition, services like Netflix and Disney+Hotstar are increasing the number of anime titles available. In 2023, publishers and anime companies like Avex Pictures, Kodansha, and Shueisha launched “Anime Times,” a platform that directly broadcasts new titles.
Also in 2023, The Pokémon Company established an “India Marketing Office” and began its “full-scale” entry into India. While anime has continuously been broadcast, the industry is also actively developing games, merchandise, and events. In fact, in 2025, Mumbai will host a large-scale event called “Pokémon Carnival and Run,” collaborations with major food manufacturers, and the release of the rap song “Imma Be Your Pokémon” by Indian hip-hop icon Badshah are rapidly making their presence felt. Comic Con India, which began in 2011, initially focused primarily on exhibits of Hollywood and American comics. Still, now exhibits of Jump comics are becoming more prominent, and the perception of anime has changed dramatically, much more than it was just a few years ago. Various Japanese entertainment companies are constantly working to develop the Indian market. Inspired by Japanese anime, creators are establishing animation studios across India to create Japanese-style works.
The anime industry, which had been relatively underdeveloped, is now making strides. While there are still many rough edges, Indian anime may make a big splash around the world in just two or three years. While this is a reflection of the changes in the anime market in recent years, Crayon Shin-chan is in a class of its own. It is a series that gained popularity in India even before streaming services existed.
