New Delhi: Japanese anime is moving beyond niche fandom in India and evolving into a mainstream cultural and consumer phenomenon, with mobile-first viewing, social sharing and lifestyle integration driving its growing popularity, according to a new study by Hakuhodo India.
Titled “THE TIME IS NOW”, the consumer study examines the growing influence of Japanese anime intellectual property (IP) in India, which has emerged as the world’s third-largest anime viewing market. The research explores how Indian anime viewers consume, share and engage with anime, highlighting opportunities for brands and rights holders in content, merchandising and monetisation.
Conducted across eight cities, the study combines quantitative and qualitative research through face-to-face surveys, home visits and expert interviews. The findings indicate that anime has become a part of everyday life for young Indian consumers, supported by digital access, community engagement and increasing lifestyle relevance.
Jayanto Banerjee, Co-Managing Director, Hakuhodo India, said, “We track emerging trends through INSIGHT OUT LAB and this is our latest study on drivers behind growing popularity of anime in India. We believe that anime is poised to emerge out of being a niche culture to becoming mainstream in the near future. It already plays a role far beyond entertainment to becoming life crutch for many.”
Smartphones drive anime consumption
The study found that anime viewing in India is overwhelmingly mobile-led, with smartphones used by 95.9% of respondents, followed by television at 72.3%. The findings reflect a viewing ecosystem shaped by convenience, portability and everyday accessibility.
OTT platforms continue to remain the primary destination for anime consumption, with Netflix leading usage at 74%, followed by Jio Hotstar/Disney+ at 69.1%, YouTube at 68.8% and Amazon Prime at 56.4%.
Despite the dominance of digital platforms, traditional television continues to maintain relevance, with channels such as Cartoon Network used by 48% of respondents, indicating that anime consumption in India is supported by a combination of OTT and television access.
Local language dubbing expands reach
The survey highlighted the importance of localisation in driving anime adoption. Around 61.1% of viewers preferred dubbed anime, with Hindi emerging as the most preferred dubbed language among Indian audiences at 73.1%.
However, when consuming anime with subtitles, English remained the preferred choice for 68.9% respondents, while Hindi subtitles accounted for 23.3%. The findings suggest two distinct consumption patterns — casual viewing through dubbed content and deeper engagement through original audio with English subtitles.
Anime becomes a social experience
The study found that anime consumption extends beyond watching content, with viewers actively discussing and sharing their interests. Around 66% of anime-related activity involved discussions with friends, while 44% of respondents preferred posting anime-related content on social media and 43.4% followed anime creators online.
The findings indicate that anime is increasingly functioning as a shared cultural language among young audiences and becoming an important part of peer interaction and online identity.
Merchandise and monetisation opportunities
Anime merchandise purchases in India are currently concentrated around everyday-use categories such as apparel, stationery, accessories and bags. Rather than being limited to collector products, anime merchandise is increasingly becoming a form of personal expression.
However, spending remains at an early stage. Among working professionals, the most common spending range on anime-related activities over the past six months was INR 1,500–2,000, reported by 35.3% respondents. Among students and homemakers, the most common range was INR 500–1,000, reported by 36.8% respondents.
Heavy spenders, with expenditure of INR 6,000 or more, accounted for only 2.1% of working professionals and 2.9% of students and homemakers, indicating that high-value spending remains limited.
Future growth opportunity for brands and IP owners
Hakuhodo India said the findings underline anime’s transition from a viewing preference into a broader cultural and consumer movement. The company highlighted opportunities for brands and rights holders to deepen engagement through localised content, trusted distribution channels and lifestyle-focused merchandise.
Going forward, Hakuhodo India said it will continue leveraging consumer insights, research platforms and networks to support the overseas expansion of Japanese anime IP and help brands connect with emerging cultural trends in India.
