Under the parenthood of Animation Xpress, Anime India opened its doors just a year ago, with Mumbai hosting its debut. Fans flocked to the new convention, helping it record an attendance of 29,000. Across three days at NESCO, Mumbai, anime wasn’t just a form of media that fans consumed on their screens. It was worn, drawn, performed, collected and, most of all, debated among a growing community.
Now, Anime India has returned, expanding to three cities in 2026 with Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. The convention’s growth mirrors the changing appetite for anime in India. This year, co-founders Mishaal Wanvari and Neha Mehta have themed the convention around the growing interest in anime across the country. Anime has garnered substantial interest in India over the years, influencing an entirely new generation to develop their creative ideas and create their own animated feature films. For the founders, the ambition is not merely to create another convention. Their vision is to fuel the passionate creative minds in India by connecting them with the global anime industry.
During an exclusive interview with the co-founders, they shared their perspectives on the growing anime landscape in India. Neha Mehta said, “The end goal is the demand of consumers. Anime is a compilation of stories that have emotions catering to young adults. This is what connects well with the next generation.” She also spoke about how this growing interest could help attract Japanese companies to engage in collaborations. She added, “India will create such stories, and Japanese companies will be willing to cooperate with us and take the Indian stories globally.”
Perhaps the most straightforward indication of Anime India’s ambitions and vision is its ability to bring top talent from Japan to India. The official programme featured a line-up of industry veterans, including Sakamoto Days producer Ryota Hasegawa and Naruto director Hayato Date.
Hayato Date helped underscore the growing demand for anime in India. At the end of his insightful conversation with Mishaal Wanvari, he announced that two Naruto movies, Blood Prison and Road to Ninja, would soon be released in India. In addition to this, Anime India hosted the ‘Anime Idea Contest’ in collaboration with Japan. The winner of the event would not only receive a reward of 1 million yen (approximately Rs 6 lakh), but would also be considered for production or an anime adaptation.
Echoing this sentiment, Ryota Hasegawa also shared his confidence in the potential for collaboration. He said, “Collaboration opportunities will definitely increase between India and Japan. As the Indian artists work on more projects, they will slowly begin to work with Japanese artists to help enhance the overall quality of each other’s animations.”
We asked Mishaal Wanvari about India’s potential entry into the global anime ecosystem. To this, he said, “It is already happening. The producer of Baahubali: The Lost Legends is trying to create the biggest animation movie from India. He has integrated mythological, anime, comic, and western elements to create this movie.”
Milind D. Shinde, founder and CEO of 88 Pictures, echoed this view during a live interview at Anime India. He said, “Ishaan Shukla (animation writer-director) is taking it to a new level. Our job is to take the vision to the world. This is not just an Indian project but our first entry for the animation feature to be in the Oscar category.”
With an ambitious vision such as this, Anime India is also creating a space where young and aspiring creators can engage with established names from the global animation industry. As anime continues to find a larger audience in India, the convention is positioning itself as a platform that can help connect that growing fandom with the country’s emerging creative talent.
The world of animation is rapidly growing in India, and Anime India offers a glimpse into the possibilities that lie ahead both for audiences and for creators looking to take Indian stories to the global stage.
Also Read: 10 Best Anime Movies For Beginners To Immerse Into
