Cosmos Maya has changed the story of attracting investment in Indian Animation, catapulting the company to a global fiscally attractive entity. Amid businesses affected due to the pandemic and various associated challenges, Kalyani Rane, CFO, Cosmos Maya, played a catalyst role in directing the growth trajectory of Cosmos Maya. In conversation with Medianews4u, Rane spoke about the company’s journey, the growth of the animation sector during the pandemic, and more.
“The country’s animation industry has witnessed a number of positive changes. It is being marked by mergers and acquisitions of firms, allowing small players access to improved resources and expanded market shares, observes Rane.
“Many global studios are also eagerly joining hands with indigenous firms, simultaneously providing them exposure and seamless opportunities. As per a recent study, the Indian animation and VFX sector was valued at 53 billion INR in 2020 and is expected to grow up to 129 billion INR by 2023. Further, several companies like Cosmos Maya are becoming trendsetters by giving investors high ROIs on their investments, consequently establishing this industry as an investment hotspot,” she added.
Cosmos Maya has been acquiring more IPs of late and has partnered with Disney India. Speaking about the association, Rane said, “Initially, things like going out for a movie were considered an indulgence by many. With the virus outbreak secluding people worldwide, entertainment channels have become a window to the outside world. The overall time spent on TV/OTT platforms has increased by 25%, and there has been a dramatic rise in subscriptions.”
The regional market for original content is yet to pick up the pace from an ROI standpoint, said Rane while speaking about the regional language productions.
“This business is completely audience-demand and viewership trend-based. We have done regional productions in the international market, such as Putra for the Indonesian market with Spectrum Film. The Indian animation market is of a much more aggregate nature, with major channels broadcasting content all over India in multiple language options available through digital operators,” she added.
“WowKidz has seen immense popularity across languages and geographies. The brand caters to nearly 70 million subscribers on YouTube alone in over 18 languages. It has clocked over 30 billion views indicating strong engagement among viewers as well, with content partnerships with over 15 platforms globally,” said Rane while talking about WowKidz regional language offerings
“Kids content is the propeller of the animation industry in India, with a very small percentage of content producers making use of animation as a full-fledged storytelling device. With the advent of more mature animated content across global TV and OTT platforms, the industry is opening up to newer creative horizons with musical artists and other creative professionals using animation in their art,” said Rane.
“We are planning major inorganic expansion by acquiring studios in India and North America. Cosmos-Maya is expanding its studio in Bangalore, Kolkata, Pune, Vancouver, and Los Angeles. With a portfolio of over 20 IPs and a highly talented executive and creative workforce, Cosmos-Maya is exceptionally well-placed to consolidate its leadership position in the segment. An investment by an entity like NewQuest Capital Partners is a testament to our market leadership and strong operating performance,” concluded Rane.
