Two events that almost captured the attention of entire Nation earlier this year are the two IPLs – One the Indian Premiere League and the Other the Indian Political League ! I found both relevant and key points to present my views in this article.
Let’s first start with the Indian Political League. Of all the campaigns and promotions, one thing which significantly caught the attention is the word #Viksitbharat by 2047! This word has got a different vibe altogether with hope and optimism. So what is #ViksitBharat and how does it look like? A nation with Economic Growth, Ease of Living and Doing Business, Enhanced Infrastructure, Sustainable Developmental Goals, Opportunities, Jobs, Technology-Innovation, etc. is what I understand. Looks Colourful, Positive and Optimistic.
Now coming to the point, a Nation is nothing but its people and their well-being. We are a 140 Crore nation with nearly 40 Crore children below the age of 15. Yes, this One thirds of our population will be not just living in the #ViksitBharat by 2047 but are the main contributors & stakeholders of it today. Those who are below 15 now will be in their middle age contributing to the goal of ViksitBharat. Now let’s try to understand what do they need now? Simple, Childhood – Childhood that is filled with hope and happiness. Okay, What makes them Happy, Hopeful & Healthy? The answer is Entertainment! Yes, Entertainment is the Birth Right of Children. It is through fun & entertainment they learn and grow, Inspire and Innovate. That is where #Animation comes in! Children instantly fall in love to indulge in watching stories that are visually appealing with great characters and engaging story telling.
With over 40 crore kids in the nation, there is a huge potential and market to tap and contribute as an industry to the goal of #Viksitbharat. Currently, Indian animation industry is worth over Rs 100 billion and growing consistently. However, a major portion of this is from the service industry. But it’s not enough for the goal of #ViksitBharat. We need to create stories and brand which are Inspired from the ethos of this land & deep rooted, culturally relevant and emotionally enriching while engaging. We are a land of stories and it’s only a matter of time that we rediscover and present it before the next gen kids in a way that engages them. #ViksitBharat means getting rid of colonial mindset and thinking the native way. We need to inspire from Japanese Animation and have to create our own brand identity in terms of storytelling, characters and style.
We are a nation with huge base of animation content consumers but yet to hit the bulls eye. We could hardly create a couple of desi franchises and success stories. Kids entertainment is a huge industry across the world but with over 1000 films released every year in different Indian languages, hardly not even 10 films cater to this category of 40 Crore! It’s a pathetic state of affairs as we are not just failed in tapping the huge industry potential but also ignored the 40 Cr stake holders of #ViksitBharat. Animation is an important tool that can ignite young minds to think more and dream big. It unleashes the latent creativity of tiny audience and instigates them to innovate and inspire. Animation is the catalyst for the emotional well-being of child that can drive them crazy or calm! There are many examples of how kids are being ruined by the explicit, unfiltered and irrelevant content directly imported from outside. Its time to clear this mud with fresh water that is abundantly available in this land since ages. With nearly 40 crore children, over 100 crore internet users, around 50 crore OTT viewers – all in India alone with extremely crazy entertainment buffs we can definitely create wonders in the field of animation and kids entertainment. Its an irony that we have the population, audience, and demand yet failed to supply. The loss is two ways, one is that we are losing huge market with demand, and other is we are pushing our future citizens to stereotype! Its time to have a clear road map and work towards face lifting (Shifting) the #IndianAnimationIndustry not just to contribute towards the goal of #ViksitBharat economically but also emotionally!
Now comes the other IPL, the Indian Premiere League. Just Iike entertainment, we eat, sleep and drink cricket. Nearly two decades ago, some one could dream big enough to create a national brand identity for Indian cricket and push this to an industry that the entire world would like to live in! It is a best example in recent times on how to tap the potential and create a unique sustainable brand model. Indian entertainment industry, especially kids animation is no less to cricket with over 40 Crore fan base who are desperately looking for new characters or avatars to entertain them every new day!
Finally to summarize, #Animation for #ViksitBharat is an important or may be quintessential catalyst that can propel the dream of government with great contribution and commitment. As they say, today’s children are the future citizens of Nation, it’s of huge responsibility on each one of us to contribute in their upbringing and character building with optimism and positivity. From a new born to a grownup until 15 years, Animation is the best companion that contributes to their emotional, social and intelligence quotients. And hence it is a key to #ViksitBharat!
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