Manoj Mishra brings over 27 years of international experience across children's entertainment, broadcasting, OTT, gaming, licensing, and intellectual property monetization. He has led IP development, commissioning, co-productions, content acquisitions, and distribution across global markets. He previously served as Head of IP Development, Commissioning, Co-Production & Content Acquisition at Al Jazeera Children's Channel, catering to audiences across 22 Middle Eastern countries, and as COO of DQE Group. He has extensive experience in building international partnerships, managing multicultural teams, and driving business growth through cross-border collaborations.

Manoj Mishra is widely regarded as one of the most influential leaders in the children's entertainment industry, recognized for his ability to combine strategic vision, intellectual property expertise, and commercial leadership to build globally relevant entertainment businesses.

Over the course of his career, he has successfully led growth and transformation across animation, broadcasting, gaming, licensing, content acquisition, distribution, and digital media. Respected by peers as a mentor, strategist, and business builder, he has earned a reputation for identifying emerging opportunities, building high-performing teams, and creating long-term value through intellectual property and international partnerships.

As Founder & CEO of PowerKids Entertainment, Manoj has led the company's evolution into a globally connected children's entertainment business with interests spanning content creation, licensing, publishing, consumer products, FAST channels, and digital distribution. Under his leadership, PowerKids has expanded its international footprint, strengthened its co-production capabilities, and established itself as a trusted partner within the global children's entertainment ecosystem.

His leadership has been recognized through numerous industry honours, including Animation Personality of the Year, recognition among the Most Influential Leaders, and multiple Best Producer Awards for internationally acclaimed productions. He has also been invited to contribute as a speaker, industry expert, jury member, and thought leader at leading forums and platforms including GEM Awards, ScreenXX Summit, IReC, and other prominent media and entertainment industry events.

Under Manoj's stewardship, PowerKids was featured among the Top 10 Most Promising Animation Design & Visualizer Companies in Asia by Asia Business Outlook and recognized through major industry accolades including the FICCI BAF Awards, ANN Awards, Labels Awards, and Pulcinella Awards. The company has also earned recognition for excellence in content creation, licensing & merchandising, brand partnerships, and the development of globally loved children's characters and franchises.

Manoj Mishra brings over 27 years of international experience across children's entertainment, broadcasting, OTT, gaming, licensing, and intellectual property monetization. He has led IP development, commissioning, co-productions, content acquisitions, and distribution across global markets. He previously served as Head of IP Development, Commissioning, Co-Production & Content Acquisition at Al Jazeera Children's Channel, catering to audiences across 22 Middle Eastern countries, and as COO of DQE Group. He has extensive experience in building international partnerships, managing multicultural teams, and driving business growth through cross-border collaborations.

Manoj Mishra is widely regarded as one of the most influential leaders in the children's entertainment industry, recognized for his ability to combine strategic vision, intellectual property expertise, and commercial leadership to build globally relevant entertainment businesses.

Over the course of his career, he has successfully led growth and transformation across animation, broadcasting, gaming, licensing, content acquisition, distribution, and digital media. Respected by peers as a mentor, strategist, and business builder, he has earned a reputation for identifying emerging opportunities, building high-performing teams, and creating long-term value through intellectual property and international partnerships.

As Founder & CEO of PowerKids Entertainment, Manoj has led the company's evolution into a globally connected children's entertainment business with interests spanning content creation, licensing, publishing, consumer products, FAST channels, and digital distribution. Under his leadership, PowerKids has expanded its international footprint, strengthened its co-production capabilities, and established itself as a trusted partner within the global children's entertainment ecosystem.

His leadership has been recognized through numerous industry honours, including Animation Personality of the Year, recognition among the Most Influential Leaders, and multiple Best Producer Awards for internationally acclaimed productions. He has also been invited to contribute as a speaker, industry expert, jury member, and thought leader at leading forums and platforms including GEM Awards, ScreenXX Summit, IReC, and other prominent media and entertainment industry events.

Under Manoj's stewardship, PowerKids was featured among the Top 10 Most Promising Animation Design & Visualizer Companies in Asia by Asia Business Outlook and recognized through major industry accolades including the FICCI BAF Awards, ANN Awards, Labels Awards, and Pulcinella Awards. The company has also earned recognition for excellence in content creation, licensing & merchandising, brand partnerships, and the development of globally loved children's characters and franchises.

Manoj Mishra brings over 27 years of international experience across children's entertainment, broadcasting, OTT, gaming, licensing, and intellectual property monetization. He has led IP development, commissioning, co-productions, content acquisitions, and distribution across global markets. He previously served as Head of IP Development, Commissioning, Co-Production & Content Acquisition at Al Jazeera Children's Channel, catering to audiences across 22 Middle Eastern countries, and as COO of DQE Group. He has extensive experience in building international partnerships, managing multicultural teams, and driving business growth through cross-border collaborations.

Manoj Mishra is widely regarded as one of the most influential leaders in the children's entertainment industry, recognized for his ability to combine strategic vision, intellectual property expertise, and commercial leadership to build globally relevant entertainment businesses.

Over the course of his career, he has successfully led growth and transformation across animation, broadcasting, gaming, licensing, content acquisition, distribution, and digital media. Respected by peers as a mentor, strategist, and business builder, he has earned a reputation for identifying emerging opportunities, building high-performing teams, and creating long-term value through intellectual property and international partnerships.

As Founder & CEO of PowerKids Entertainment, Manoj has led the company's evolution into a globally connected children's entertainment business with interests spanning content creation, licensing, publishing, consumer products, FAST channels, and digital distribution. Under his leadership, PowerKids has expanded its international footprint, strengthened its co-production capabilities, and established itself as a trusted partner within the global children's entertainment ecosystem.

His leadership has been recognized through numerous industry honours, including Animation Personality of the Year, recognition among the Most Influential Leaders, and multiple Best Producer Awards for internationally acclaimed productions. He has also been invited to contribute as a speaker, industry expert, jury member, and thought leader at leading forums and platforms including GEM Awards, ScreenXX Summit, IReC, and other prominent media and entertainment industry events.

Under Manoj's stewardship, PowerKids was featured among the Top 10 Most Promising Animation Design & Visualizer Companies in Asia by Asia Business Outlook and recognized through major industry accolades including the FICCI BAF Awards, ANN Awards, Labels Awards, and Pulcinella Awards. The company has also earned recognition for excellence in content creation, licensing & merchandising, brand partnerships, and the development of globally loved children's characters and franchises.

An alumnus of the Academy of Art, San Francisco, USA, Mr. Rajiv Chilaka's entrepreneurial journey started with a vision of creating an animation studio at par with the best in the world. This took shape with the establishment of Green Gold Animation in 2004. In an industry still in its nascent stages, his journey was punctuated with more challenges than opportunities. Braving the odds, he created and brought India's most loved and iconic character, Chhota Bheem, to life.

Today, as the CEO of the Green Gold Group, he leads a team of over 1000 artists who have produced over 12 shows, 1000 episodes, 100+ TV movies and 6 Feature films in the last decade itself. Green Gold Group's footprint spans across television, movies, digital and L&M, reaching an audience of over 100 million kids and 190 countries globally. It also owns and licenses India's biggest children's IP with over 100 brands across multiple categories.

Under his leadership, Green Gold Animation has won many accolades and achieved many a milestone, the most recent being the creator of India's first Netflix original animation series, Mighty Little Bheem. A global success, Mighty Little Bheem is a testament to the spirit of creation that drives Rajiv and the Green Gold Group.

Driven by Rajiv's profound love for films, Green Gold has embarked on an exciting journey into the production of live-action films. Presently, Green Gold is proudly involved in the production of two Tollywood and one Bollywood film. Furthermore, in 2021, Green Gold has started its VFX journey aiming to pioneer new realms of creativity & innovation in the world of visual effects, leaving its mark on over a dozen films in South India and PAN India

With over 25+ years of experience in the animation and visual effects industry, Anand has worked with renowned studios on many award-winning projects, including National Award for best animated feature film and Filmfare for best VFX series OTT to name a few. Having been a technical director for the longest time in his career, he is known to handle high-end tech-creative challenges adroitly, with no production puzzle being too problematic to solve. Being a visionary, he has been instrumental in building philmCGI as one of the most reputed studios today and also looks after the overall day-to-day operations of the studio.

With over 25+ years of experience in the animation and visual effects industry, Anand has worked with renowned studios on many award-winning projects, including National Award for best animated feature film and Filmfare for best VFX series OTT to name a few. Having been a technical director for the longest time in his career, he is known to handle high-end tech-creative challenges adroitly, with no production puzzle being too problematic to solve. Being a visionary, he has been instrumental in building philmCGI as one of the most reputed studios today and also looks after the overall day-to-day operations of the studio.

Sarath Bhooshan is the Founder & CEO of Bhooshan's Junior, a digital-first kids' entertainment company dedicated to building globally scalable animation IPs, consumer brands, and technology-driven entertainment ecosystems. With over 20 years of experience across IT, financial services, investments, entrepreneurship, and media, he brings a unique blend of business strategy and creative vision to the animation industry.

Under his leadership, Bhooshan's Junior has developed a growing portfolio of original intellectual properties, including Adventures of Louie & Douie, Meawoo - The Curious Kitten, Locomo-Raceverse, and Action G.A.N.G., while securing international collaborations and co-production partnerships across global markets. The company has also secured the perpetual animation and licensing rights for the JoJo Siwa IP, marking a significant milestone for an Indian animation studio.

Sarath Bhooshan is a passionate advocate for building globally recognised children's entertainment brands from India and believes the country's next billion-dollar kids' franchise can emerge from its creative ecosystem.

Starting with a small team and growing to several hundred artists across Toronto, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, Milind D. Shinde founded 88 Pictures in 2016 after spending years at DreamWorks Animation India and China unit. A doyen in the animation industry, he spent most of his animation career with DreamWorks. He was part of the core team instrumental in setting up and development of the production infrastructure at the India DreamWorks and Oriental DreamWorks in Shanghai, China.

In his robust body of experience, Shinde has been a part of few Oscar-nominated feature films at DreamWorks and played an important role in the production of most of its successful movie franchises such as Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon among others. Through his astute management skills, unflinching vision and a zeal for quality and creativity, he has successfully established 88 Pictures as a key player in the arena of animation.

Kasinath Patro is Head of Academics for ZICA & ZIMA at Zee Learn Ltd., where he leads academic strategy, curriculum, and centralised examinations across the PAN India network in Animation, VFX, Gaming, and Media Arts education. With 26+ years spanning production, Academic operations, and academic leadership, he has architected enterprise-grade academic systems covering the full student lifecycle - from curriculum design to certification. He began his career as a designer before moving into academic leadership, giving him a practitioner's grounding in industry-relevant skilling. Kasinath works closely with national frameworks like AVGC-XR Mission and NSDC/MESC to align vocational education with evolving industry demand - a perspective he brings directly to the conversation on bridging skills and formal education.

With 25 years of extensive experience in the Animation and Visual Effects (VFX) industry, I have built a diverse career that spans production, education, and technical solutions. My journey began as a VFX artist in India, where I honed my skills at some of the country's leading VFX houses for over a decade. My passion for education and nurturing new talent led me to take on roles as a faculty member at various educational institutions, where I taught Animation and VFX while continuing my production work.

Currently, I serve as a Sr. Solutions Engineer for a leading global 3D software company. In this role, I focus on supporting and establishing pipelines and workflows for prominent Animation, VFX, Game, and post-production studios across India and the SAARC region. My dual expertise in production and education allows me to bridge the gap between academic principles and industry requirements effectively. My latest contribution to the AVGC industry is my podcast channel called ScorpionSpeakswhere I bring India's biggest speakers & artists from the AVGC sector & also the extended people who contribute to our industry.

With over 25+ years of experience in the animation and visual effects industry, Anand has worked with renowned studios on many award-winning projects, including National Award for best animated feature film and Filmfare for best VFX series OTT to name a few. Having been a technical director for the longest time in his career, he is known to handle high-end tech-creative challenges adroitly, with no production puzzle being too problematic to solve. Being a visionary, he has been instrumental in building philmCGI as one of the most reputed studios today and also looks after the overall day-to-day operations of the studio.

One of the most influential creative executives in India, Paprikas Animation Studios (now transformed into Technicolor India) was co-founded by him. Following this the Xentrix Studios was also co-founded by him, building it into a team of over 1,000 artists and producing/ delivering more than 2,000 hours of TV, DVD, feature films, games, and ride films. As studios head and creative director, he has played a pivotal role in transforming the Indian animation scene, bringing global giants like Technicolor, DreamWorks, EA, Rockstar, MPC, and others to India.

He now runs Zebu Animation as founder and creative director, fulfilling his lifelong dream of creating original IP. In 2024, he served as the lighting director for the Oscar-nominated animated documentary Piece by Piece by Pharrell Williams. He also directed the viral fan-made Lego adaptation of Hanumankind's Big Dawgs, which garnered over 100,000 views.

Patil is the new animated YouTube series The Wonderful Adventures of Suppandi creator and director, which features one of India's most beloved comic characters from Tinkle Magazine. The show now airs on the Powerkids YouTube channel to over 45 million subscribers.

With over 25 years of experience in the animation, media, and entertainment industry, Niloy Kanti Biswas currently serves as the CEO of Wackytoon Studio, a premier Kolkata-based production house delivering world-class 2D and 3D animation for both domestic and international markets.

Over the course of his career, he has worked with several prestigious companies, including Toonz Animation India, Tata Interactive Systems (Mumbai), Elecomtoon, and Animatzione, holding top creative as well as senior management portfolios.

Biswas has contributed to a wide range of acclaimed and successful projects across leading platforms and networks. His work includes the 2D feature film 'Cheenti Cheenti Bang Bang'; popular Sony YAY! shows such as 'Honey Bunny Ka Jholmaal,' 'Guru aur Bhole' and 'Taarak Mehta Ka Chhota Chashmah'; 'Chhota Bheem' and 'Mighty Raju' for POGO; 'Rudra Boom Chick Chick Boom' for Nick India; 'Mighty Little Bheem' for Netflix; 'Kalari Kids' for Amazon Prime; 'Khumbhkaran' for POGO; 'Howzzatt' for Discovery Kids; 'Shaktimaan' for Sonic; 'Ninja Hattori' and 'Pakdam Pakdai' for Nickelodeon; 'Kid Krish' for Cartoon Network; 'V4Virat' for Disney India; 'Redcap' for Italy; and the 'Cocomelon Project' for Moonbug Entertainment. In addition, he has contributed to several animation feature films, TV specials, and advertising campaigns.

In the latest addition Niloy has spearheaded the OMI No. 1 Show for Warner Brothers/POGO and Obotchama-kun, a Japanese 2D Animated Show in Hindi & Sudha Murty - Stories of Wit and Magic for SonyYAY! and Netflix. Niloy is also leading the team which is using latest Gen-Ai technologies while creating presentations and AD films for corporations.

A top graduate from The Government College of Arts and Craft, he is deeply passionate about visualising concepts for 2D, 3D, VFX, and advertising films. His short film 'Lust in the Woods' has won two prestigious accolades at the Ann Awards 2022 by AnimationXpress India (Mumbai) and the India Gold Award at the 24th Digicon6 Asia Animation Film Contest in Tokyo, Japan. Under his leadership, Wackytoon Studio successfully spearheaded the production of 'Obocchama-kun' for TV Asahi, Japan, developed under the supervision of Green Gold Animation and SonyYAY! marking a significant "Make in India" achievement.

P. Jayakumar is the Founder and CEO of Kynzo Media Group and a respected leader in the global animation, kids' content and AVGC-XR industry. With over 26 years of experience, he has played a key role in building international partnerships across production, co-production, distribution, digital monetisation and IP development. As the former CEO of Toonz Media Group, he worked closely with leading broadcasters, platforms, studios and creative partners across global markets. At Kynzo Media, he is focused on developing, producing and distributing high-quality animation and family entertainment, including AI-assisted production and digital-first IPs. He also serves as President of SAIK, contributing to the growth of Kerala's AVGC-XR ecosystem. Jayakumar brings a strong blend of creative, commercial and global market expertise.

With over two decades of experience spanning animation, production, and creative leadership, Ashish Thapar leads HiTech Animation Studios as its Chief Executive Officer, steering one of India's most progressive studios into the global spotlight.

Ashish's journey through the world of animation began at a time when India was still finding its place in the global AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) landscape. Over the years, he worked with some of the most distinguished names in entertainment - including The Walt Disney Company, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Jim Henson Company, Dharma Productions, and Yash Raj Films - gaining invaluable insight into global production standards, storytelling sensibilities, and audience expectations. This foundation helped shape his belief that Indian creative talent, when given the right tools and vision, can compete shoulder-to-shoulder with the world's best.

When he took charge at HiTech Animation Studios, Ashish envisioned transforming it from a regional animation hub into a world-class storytelling ecosystem. Under his leadership, the studio has expanded its footprint across Kolkata and Mumbai, built a robust infrastructure for 2D and 3D animation, VFX, and post-production, and developed an end-to-end pipeline capable of servicing both international projects and original Indian IPs. Ashish's driving ambition is to transform the Indian animation industry from a primarily services based local ecosystem to a global powerhouse that furthers India's soft power through its indigenous animated content. In many ways this reflects his personal journey from overseeing the production of Motu Patlu as COO - Cosmos Maya to helming the Netflix original Kurukshetra as CEO - HiTech Animation Studios.

His strategic focus has also expanded HiTech Animation Studio's reach across Europe, South Korea and Turkey, driving long-term collaborations with international studios and production houses. A believer in creative courage and collaborative growth, Ashish champions a studio culture where innovation thrives and artists find their unique voice. When not shaping stories on screen, he's often chasing new ones through his travels and food adventures around the world.

Beyond production excellence, Ashish remains deeply invested in talent development and regional inclusion, and he continues to advocate for India's transition from a service-driven animation economy to one rooted in original IP and global collaboration. Outside of his professional sphere, Ashish is an avid traveller and culinary explorer, often found tracing stories through local cuisines and cultures across the world.

Arjun Madhavan is the CEO of Assemblage Entertainment, India's premium CGI animation House. As a new-gen entrepreneur, Arjun has played a pivotal role in shaping Assemblage over the past decade, working with a global marquee clientele and producing premium and world-class animated content across multi-platforms, genres, and formats. He is a firm believer in the power of people and partnerships. He advocates investing in talent which will in turn help the industry to grow and flourish.

As a London School of Economics graduate, Arjun began his career as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank in London. In 2019, he was featured in Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 Asia list in the media and entertainment category. He was also awarded the "AVGC 40 Under 40" title by AnimationXpress in 2020, to recognise the finest 40 individuals from the Indian AVGC ecosystem.