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The Indian animation industry is still in its nascent state compared to the western countries, but it is growing at a rapid pace. Last year, Karnataka state government came out with Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) policy to help this industry. Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI), Bangalore – based non – profit association, has been working with the government towards the development of the industry. In an interview with Gaurav Laghate, ABAI president and Country Head, Technicolor India, Biren Ghose spoke about the industry. Excerpts:
What roadblocks do you see in the growth path of the animation industry in India?
In India, the animation industry has made an enormous progress and today we are at a stage where youngsters are choosing to be a part of this industry. Talent pool generation and finding the right person with the pertinent skill set for high-end production assignments and responsibilities are the major roadblocks.
However, with increasing support from the Government, we are hoping to see more structure in the way a student or an artist is honed and trained. The industry academia is also thinking of innovative ways to encourage 'apprentice partner programs’ to facilitate exposure in to real time experience. One must pick an area of personal strength and specialize in that field, e.g. rendering/lighting /Compositing, etc.
Each of these specialisations are constantly evolving with new methods and tools that encompass the visual and animation pipeline. With the growing complexity of standards, as the world moves on from HD to stereo scope 3D, there is a lot to catch up.
What support have you got from the government and what are your expectations for the industry?
With the advent of the AVGC policy, we see a huge scope going forward for this industry. This seemed like a good case for the government to provide some jumpstart support through the policy. This is a cohesive policy and if the industry is able to leverage on the opportunities the policy offers, the day would not be very far from where we will see the industry blooming.
What’s your take on the overall animation industry in India?
The Indian animation industry has evolved only in the last 12-14 years as compared to many other countries that developed local and/or international businesses over the last 35-50 years. If we go back 5 to 7 years, the industry was a meagre 2 to 3 percent of the total Media and Entertainment revenues. Today, animation is about Rs 800 crore out of Rs 3500 crore, growing at a rate of 12-13%.
So do you see the demand for the animation services growing in India?
The demand for animation services in India is growing at a swift speed owing to the increase in hi-end TV shows and increasing investments in advertisements. There’s a lot of work we can get from all over the world provided we can grow the necessary talent. In fact, besides prudent capital investments in infrastructure, a significantly expanded talent base can boost the industry growth. With this, we would be able to work on more international and local work which is currently showing a healthy growth across the sector.
How do you see the AVGC (animation, visual effects, gaming and comics) policy, announced by Karnataka state government last year, panning out in the favour of the industry?
The Karnataka AVGC Policy spearheaded by the GOK- Ministry of IT, BT and S&T and ‘powered’ by ABAI-the creative industries trade association is rapidly gaining momentum. The government intends to work together with the AVGC industry to act as a catalyst to drive talent and growth in the state.
The policy is designed to enable disruptive growth and provide Karnataka based AVGC players the opportunity to leverage the latent talent base including in Tier II & III towns. Bangalore has zoomed ahead in becoming a major pivot for high-end global animation production.
International hits such as Kung Fu Panda, The Penguins of Madagascar, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, Life of Pi, Hit Man, Tomb Raider, Gears of War, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are some of the high-end gems from the local digital production in the last few years.
In comparison to the advanced economies, where 4 to 5 % of the GDP comes from the creative industries, not even 1% of our country’s income is derived from this sector - that is an opportunity this policy seeks to leverage.
While there are multiple growth forecasts for the industry, where does India stand today?
In the global environment, animation work is spread across an ecosystem of production entities based on emerging talent, technology, financing, quality and substantial government incentives in certain geographies.
However, in India it is relatively at a nascent yet fast growing stage and we notice that India has become a more active ingredient and a preferred partner for the global production houses. This shift is owing to the talent and skill acquired by the Indian artists in the animation studios.
Thanks to the changing technology revolution and content creation, over the next 5 years, the industry is likely to transform the way the digital content is going to be created, managed and delivered. With changing audience expectations, the content packaging and presentation are taking a different leap altogether with new format and genres.
As we see more demand for multi platform consumptions, there would be a huge acceptance for Asian and Indian regional content (in local language) which is likely to be a powerful growth driver in the future. India is at a helm of creating and developing award-winning content for international players and if similar path is sustained, this Industry will soon be seen as shining armour of the Indian economy.
