License India, which claims to be India’s first complete licensing solution provider, is all set to provide a licensing platform to the Diamond comic characters – Chacha Chowdhary, Pinki, Sabu, Billoo, etc through character licensing and animation. Diamond Comics, a pioneer in Indian Comic industry will soon enter into a related tie-up with License India, a division of Franchise India Holdings Limited. The plans will be unveiled at the Brand Licensing & Merchandising show 2009 in Mumbai.
As per the agreement, the characters of Diamond Comics will now be seen in cartoons, animated films, mobile games and would also have licensed merchandise in children’s properties – clothes, toys, stationary, etc.
According to Gaurav Marya, President- License India, “Animation & Character licensing industry in India has bright prospects due its large population that accounts for a major chunk of the world's population. Also, the vast majority of India’s $75-$100 million in retail sales comes from licensed merchandise in children’s properties. “
The global animation market (demand perspective) was estimated at US $59 billion in 2006 and is expected to reach US $80 billion by 2010. In India, the animation industry value is pegged at Rs.1, 595 crore in the FY 07, registering a growth of 24% over the previous fiscal year, with the entertainment segment contributing nearly 68% of the total market in India. Exports, mostly to US and Europe, accounted for more than 70% of the revenues in 2006.
Gulshan Rai, Chairman & MD, Diamond Comics said, “India is a very big country and is manufacturing large number of children oriented products. In the present scenario, our characters can be used in stationary products, Bubble-gums, Candies, Ice-Creams, Shoe Industry, Cycle Industry etc. and also on school children oriented products like school bags, their T-Shirts, Tattoos, Transfer Stickers and so on. We have heard much about Disney cartoons, Disney clothes & Disney stationary; now is the chance for the Indian comic characters to have their visibility worldwide through License India”.
“There has also been a steep increase in the number of ways to consume animation content than ever before. Increasing number of TV channels, greater accessibility to Internet, proliferation of mobile devices and increasing popularity of mobile, video & computer games, offering humongous potential for the Animation & Character Licensing in India”, adds Rai.
According to Anupama Bindra, Business Head, License India, “The Indian animation industry is growing rapidly with about 300 animation companies employing 12,000 people and 3,000 freelancers in India. The potential of Indian character licensing, especially, Diamond Comics characters, is great as people can easily recall these characters. We see tremendous potential in Indian character licensing industry and have aggressive plans to harness the same”.
A slew of players have entered the Indian markets for licensing merchandise and character franchise. Disney Consumer Products occupies the foremost position, with the characters of Mickey and Minnie alone generating 43% of its revenue. Over the last three years, merchandise-licensing business in India has been growing at more than 50 per cent, and total character licensing sales in India are estimated at Rs 500 crore.
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