Beneath the cosplay flashes and the roar of the hall, Anime India Mumbai was doing something more ambitious than celebrating old loves. It was minting new ones.
The three-day convention turned the floor into a launchpad. Fresh Indian IPs, new characters and story worlds jostled with global and homegrown franchises for a slice of India’s swelling fandom economy. Mythology, manga-flavoured adventure, children’s heroes and lifestyle licensing all found a stall, a stage or a trailer.
The parade of new properties was the real story.
Maayan, Carmond Infinity’s comic-origin IP, is moving into animation after the studio tested the property with its readers. The animation teaser premiered on stage. Takahiro Kishimoto, producer of Crayon Shin-chan, then unveiled the movie poster with the team.
The Action G.A.N.G – Grandma & Next Gen, from the team behind Bhooshan’s Junior, arrived as a children’s and family IP built around an iconic grandmother and a new generation of young heroes, aimed at global audiences.
Noko: Guardians of the Earth, from Nokoverse, premiered the official trailer for its 3D animated children’s series: five friends, friendship, curiosity and discovery.
Emomee, from Emomee Entertainment, introduced a character-led children’s universe built around E, Mo and Mee, stories meant to build curiosity, confidence, adaptability, emotional intelligence and critical thinking, with kindness and problem-solving in the mix.
Garuda – The Wings of the Divine, from Neo Entertainment Studios, arrived with Sacred Legacy, pitching Indian mythology as raw material for original animation and gaming.
Muse Communication partnered with Bacca Bucci, the Indian footwear and lifestyle brand, to show anime-inspired product, a reminder that fandom now runs through licensing and consumer goods as much as screens.
That was the first wave. The rest of the floor was a mix of emerging and established properties.
Panchsheela, billed as the world’s first Indian magical-girl anime series from Geek Pictures India and Geek Toys, follows five schoolgirls from different regions of India against an ancient supernatural force.
Baahubali: The Eternal War, the animated chapter of the Baahubali universe, was showcased with details of its development and creative team. The crowd treated it as the next expansion of a world they already know.
The Saviors of Sanjeevani, from Small Town Boys, an independent IP incubation engine and creative content studio, was among the original properties that drew attention.
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah was framed by Asit Kumarr Modi as a multi-format entertainment universe, including the move from 2D to 3D animation.
Warner Bros. Discovery brought Rise of Anshaks: Heroes of Destiny, an anime-inspired series that puts Chhota Bheem and Little Singham into a cosmic fight between light and shadow and adds a new squad of superheroes to Pogo’s universe.
Muse Communication also showcased Black Torch, the supernatural action anime, as a case for IP partnership and consumer products.
Doraemon the Movie: New Nobita and the Castle of the Undersea Devil, produced in part by TV Asahi Corporation, was discussed in the context of Doraemon’s theatrical run in India, merchandise and India–Japan co-production.
Anime India Mumbai made the argument in public: the convention floor is no longer only a meeting point for fans. It is where IP is launched, licensed and tested.
More than 45,000 footfalls set a high bar. Hyderabad is next, in November. The line-up is still under wraps. If Mumbai is the template, expect another wave of new worlds, bigger IPs, odd collaborations and the same hungry fandom – only louder.
