A seminar titled "Seminar and Business Matching by Key Figures in Japanese and Indian Animation" was recently held in Tokyo, co-hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and UNIJAPAN, where the potential for collaboration in the animation industry was discussed. There was a strong desire for cooperation from the Indian side, and relations between the two countries are expected to deepen further.
Srinivas Chirakarapu, Chief Strategy Officer of Green Gold Animation, which produced Chotta Beam, the first hit Indian animated series, participated in the conference. He cited the success of Chotta Beam as being due to the wholesome language and moral values of the main character, as well as the simple story line that was easy for children to understand. He also mentioned that Japanese works such as Doraemon and Ninja Hattori-kun are already popular in India.
Other speakers included Ratan Sam George of major animation studio Toons Animation India, John Baby Karinkal, CEO of major toy manufacturer Funschool India, and Ashtosh Balek of major broadcaster Turner International India. He expressed his desire to work with the Japanese anime industry to strengthen the development of the market for children under 14, which is said to be around 350 million people.
The Indian side also predicted that nuclear families would become more prevalent in India. They called on the Japanese side to enter the Indian market early, saying, "TV viewing time will increase, and demand for anime programs will grow even more."
