Anime India 2025 Debut in Mumbai Attracts 29,000 Fans, Showcasing Japan’s Anime Culture on a Grand Stage

Mumbai witnessed a historic pop-culture moment as Anime India 2025, the country’s first large-scale anime and manga festival, made its debut at the Nesco Bombay Exhibition Centre from 22–24 August. Drawing more than 29,000 attendees over three days, the event cemented itself as one of the fastest-growing anime and pop-culture conventions in India.

Organized alongside the 7th Animation & More Summit and Ann Awards, the festival brought together global anime creators, industry leaders, cosplayers, and fans under one roof.

One of the biggest highlights was the appearance of Tetsuro Araki, director of iconic anime titles like Attack on Titan and Death Note, who joined fans for multiple meet-and-greet sessions. Another major draw was Susumu Fukunaga, corporate officer at The Pokémon Company, who shared insights into the global success of Pokémon and future plans for India. Popular influencer and comedian Rohan Joshi also lit up the stage with interactive games like anime-themed dumb charades.

According to Anime India co-founders Neha Mehta and Mishaal Wanvari, the event was designed as more than just a fandom gathering. It aimed to act as a cultural bridge between Indian creativity and Japanese storytelling, offering fans three days of cosplay, live performances, gaming contests, anime-themed merchandise, food, quizzes, and showcases of locally developed anime characters.

Anime India 2025 was powered by strong industry support, presented by Anime Times and Toyota, co-powered by Yotta, with major partners including Epic Games | Unreal Engine, PlayStation, 88 Pictures, Autodesk, Redington, and Sony YAY!. Over 70 exhibitors such as Muse, MediaLink, Souled Store, and Celio added to the experience by offering original licensed merchandise.

The event also featured a cosplay championship, karaoke competitions, Ayidol singing, and gaming tournaments, with more than 1,200 participants delivering electrifying performances.

With its overwhelming debut, Anime India 2025 has set the stage for anime and manga culture to thrive in India, establishing Mumbai as a new hub for fans, creators, and global partnerships in Japanese pop culture.