Media & Entertainment Association of India (MEAI), in collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, is thrilled to announce the next stop for WAM! (WAVES Anime & Manga Contest) in Mumbai. Following the success of events in Guwahati, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Varanasi and Delhi, WAM! continues its mission to raise awareness about manga and anime while fostering India’s creator economy under the Create in India initiative.

WAM! is a key component of WAVES (World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit), India’s largest platform for the AVGC-XR and media industries. By bringing events like WAM! to various cities, MEAI aims to catalyze intellectual property (IP) creation and mainstream manga and anime across the nation.

This event, hosted at Whistling Woods International, is expected to attract over 200 participants competing in exciting categories, including:

• Manga (Japanese-style comics)

• Webtoon (digital comics)

• Anime (Japanese-style animation)

Participants will showcase their talent and enjoy a thrilling Voice Acting and Cosplay competition. They will also get an exclusive sneak peek of TRIO, India’s first anime being developed by Vaibhavi Studios. The day will conclude with an award ceremony to honour the winners and celebrate their achievements.

Some of the confirmed Industry veterans participating to evaluation the competition and award the awardees are:

• Mr Chaitanya Chinchlikar, Vice President, Whistling Woods International and CEO, National Centre of Excellence – Animation, VFX, Gaming, Comics & Extended Reality
• Mr Abhishek Dutta – Associate Vice President – Acquisition & Programming (Kids Cluster), Star India Pvt Ltd
• Mr Sumeet Pathak – Actor, Chief Operating Officer & Managing Director, Gulmohar Media
• Mr Ankur Javeri – Actor, Voice Actor and Founder and Past President of Association of Voice Artists
• Mr Jazyl Homavazir – 2d Animation professional and creator of India’s first Manga – Beast Legion

Ankur Bhasin, Secretary of MEAI, shared his thoughts:

“As WAM! makes its way to Mumbai, we are excited to witness the growing enthusiasm for manga and anime in India. This event transcends competition; it is a celebration of creativity and an opportunity for artists to showcase their unique voices. Our commitment to fostering a robust IP ecosystem in India is unwavering, and we believe that events like WAM! will play a pivotal role in establishing our nation as a powerhouse for creative content on the global stage.”

As part of WAVES, WAM! spearheads efforts to build India’s animation, gaming, and manga sectors, nurturing a pipeline of creative talent, and driving innovation.

Bookmark our Website to stay tuned for updates as WAM! continues its journey, inspiring creators and celebrating the unique art forms of manga, anime, and webtoons!

Source: Press Release