Licensed to sell: Beauty and the Beast, Chhota Bheem product enter markets

Global studios and indie content shops tap into growing fan base for movie, TV characters in India

Even as Disney’s Beauty and the Beast plays out on screens across the country, a collection of bags, satchels and wallets with the movie’s popular characters are on sale at Hidesign stores and online marketplaces. This is not the first time that Disney has branded its popular movie characters into products and neither is it the only studio doing so, but the number and size of such deals is on the rise. Double digit sales growth, demand for character and entertainment led merchandise and growing clout of online marketplaces is pushing studios such as Disney, Fox, Viacom 18 and home