Jayakumar Prabhakaran Nair spent more than two decades at Toonz Media Group, rising to CEO and taking Indian animation into international co-pros, partnerships and markets. He stepped down late last year founding the Kynzo Media Group in January 2026 and headed to Cannes with original concepts and a clear brief: build the full ecosystem around content, not just the story.
Kynzo works across content development and production, consultancy, distribution and franchise growth. Its consultancy arm partners with IP owners on creative direction, business models and domestic or global deals. The content side develops, finances and produces animated and live-action for children and families across digital, TV and theatrical platforms, with a focus on feature films and branded digital-first series that carry consumer-products potential. Studio networks in India supply the production muscle while partnerships handle financing, distribution and licensing.
Nair spoke with Nikita Kujur about the studio’s mission at Mipcom 2026 and its vision going forward. Excerpts:
On what Kynzo is bringing to Mipcom.
Kynzo is a young company with an international outlook, building a slate of original concepts and projects developed with creative and commercial partners. We bring together development and production capabilities through our studio network in India, and a partnership-led approach to distribution and franchise building.
At Mipcom, we look forward to introducing Kynzo and sharing selected projects in development. We are also keen to meet partners who can help us take projects forward, whether through co-production, financing, distribution or audience development.
Our focus is on building relationships that can support a project from its early creative stages through to its life in the market.
On the partners he wants to meet.
We welcome conversations with international buyers, broadcasters, streaming platforms, distributors, producers and licensing partners. We are particularly interested in co-production and financing opportunities, as well as digital-first partnerships that can build audiences and create long-term value around content.
We are also open to working with IP owners seeking strategic support to grow their properties in India or internationally.
The most valuable partnerships align creative ambitions and commercial objectives, and each partner brings something meaningful to the project.
On budgets and production costs.
Changing commissioning budgets and production costs call for careful planning from the earliest stages. We consider the format, target audience, platform, production scope and budget together, then shape a suitable model for each project. This helps ensure creative ambition matches a realistic financing and distribution plan. Our studio network provides access to strong animation capabilities in India, while international partnerships can bring complementary creative input, financing and market access.
We believe flexibility is essential: the production approach should serve the story while keeping quality and commercial viability in view.
On getting Indian animation IP to travel.
A global franchise needs more than a distinctive setting or visual style. It needs memorable characters and stories that connect emotionally across cultures, supported by thoughtful creative development and a clear understanding of the audience.
Indian stories can bring fresh perspectives and worlds to the global market, while universal themes help make them accessible to viewers in different territories. International collaboration from an early stage can help projects travel while preserving the perspective that makes them distinctive.
Digital platforms can also help a property find and build an audience, creating a foundation for wider distribution, licensing and consumer products.
On what will drive Indian growth.
Growth will come from combining storytelling with dependable production capacity, global partnerships and stronger routes to market. India has talent and scale.
We need to build on that through thoughtful development, sustainable financing and a focus on audience-building and IP. It will also be important to create business models that support projects beyond initial production, including distribution, licensing and digital engagement. At Kynzo, we are working to bring all this together through a flexible, partnership-led model.
