After an overwhelming response in its beta roll-out, Akatsuki has launched Kumarba, an entertainment channel for children, in India. The channel recorded over 200 million views in just one year of launch in Japan, and with this success, its expanding globally with India being the channel’s primary target market.
Online animation companies in India are seeing an uptick in the number of users on their platforms and also a surge in the number of hours Indian users take out to watch kids content and animation in 2020. The pandemic has accentuated the pre-existing need-gap for educational animation content for kids. With schools closed, kids need virtual avenues to learn and consume content. Moreover, the Indian media and entertainment industry is expected to reach about US$44 billion by the end of 2024. India has the largest kid population, a huge gap in the supply of quality content targeted, the influx of digital-first households and access to data.
Yuki Kawamura, Head of Global IP Expansion Akatsuki Inc, said with the access of internet and smartphone in tier-I and III India, the company believes there is a huge supply gap of meaningful localized content for kids. He said this becomes even more relevant in the light of the current global pandemic which has forced kids to stay off schools. “Kids today depend more than ever on online avenues and content platforms for both cognitive learning as well as quality entertainment, Yuki said. “We are on a mission of driving innovation within the entertainment industry and the first step is to bring Japan’s legacy of fascinating characters and stories to the world and enrich the lives of audiences around the world.” Akatsuki is strengthening its commitment to India because it believes India has a diverse audience with a surge of first-time internet users and a still untapped market for original kid’s animation content.
Also Read: Films bypassed theatrical release, content pushed to OTT platforms
The launch of Kumarba YouTube channel is the beginning of Akatsuki’s plans to expand in the Indian kid’s space. The company intends to accumulate learning by developing three to five animations across various themes, each with 10 to 13 episodes on OTT platforms including YouTube. Akatsuki will focus on the establishment of the animation localization process, that is production of subtitles and dubbing for each language.
