Indiajoy, a dynamic digital entertainment extravaganza that annually brings together over 10,000 professionals from AVGC sectors, is playing the role of a catalyst for the growth of India’s animation, VFX, and gaming export businesses, says Madhav Reddy (Mike), the visionary Founder & CEO of ROTOMAKER and Co-Founder & Secretary of TVAGA & Indiajoy, in an interview with Pickle

What has been your experience attending Indiajoy over the years?

Indiajoy is the country’s most prestigious digital entertainment event. Delegates for Indiajoy include over 10,000 people, the majority of whom are artists working in various AVGC verticals. In fact, Indiajoy is a celebration of the creative community. This is a one-of-a-kind event taking place in Hyderabad for the sixth year.

As a co-founder of this massive digital entertainment event, Indiajoy has always been a fantastic experience for me. We have assisted firms, studios, and students in gathering at Indiajoy to grasp new technology, new practices in the industry, and to get expertise from those working on the ground through masterclasses and interactive workshops. This website allows young students and artists to interact with industry professionals. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for studios to engage with developing talent. The program also gives a reality check on where the industry is headed, trends impacting the sector, and cutting-edge tech and AI used by professionals on the job. This is also a great opportunity for vendors to meet potential clients for new businesses. This is the largest B2B market for media verticals in India.

How does Indiajoy help industry come together and collaborate?

All of our events have turned out great in terms of animation, VFX, and gaming. We launched Cinematica Expo for the film business this year. This year has seen unprecedented growth in India’s film industry. The film business is heavily involved. Exhibitors include camera makers, lighting businesses, and technology companies. You can come here to see camera and broadcast equipment as well as live demonstrations. That will be one of the most intriguing aspects of the Cinematica expo. This year, we debuted the VFX Summit Job Fair. And one of the things I’m looking forward to during Indiajoy is the Job Fair. It is an excellent opportunity to look into opportunities in the animation, VFX, and gaming industries. It is an excellent opportunity for businesses to hire new employees. It is an excellent way for employers and potential employees to connect.

So this is a platform that Indiajoy is developing to assist industry and artists interact, network, and exchange ideas and knowledge. Without a doubt, Indiajoy is one of the largest digital entertainment events in India. Nowhere else can we get so many participants from diverse media verticals under one roof.

Indiajoy provides the best potential for the Telangana government and the government of India to expand animation, VFX, and gaming exports. Over 70% of the AVGC services sector relies on exports. Indian studios create backend images for worldwide firms, whether it’s animation, VFX, or gaming. Backroom boys for high-end production work are the youthful Indian talent. India has more entertainment firms and studios than the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom combined. We have more media and entertainment companies and studios in India, just as India produces 2000 movies every year, far more than Hollywood and other European markets. We have no idea how to market ourselves. Indiajoystyle digital entertainment events create new prospects and business for Indian enterprises.

Image Tower has been built in Hyderabad, and you have seen and observed its development with your own eyes. What do you think makes it unique, and what will it bring to Hyderabad when it opens next year?

Image Tower is one of the city’s most recognizable structures. It is the brilliant idea of K. Taraka Rama Rao garu, the Hon’ble Information Technology Minister of Telangana. If you think back fifteen to twenty years, Hyderabad developed because it provided land and space for various enterprises such as Microsoft, Wipro, and many more. This aided them in creating jobs and growing Telangana’s economy. Similarly, the Telangana government is developing a platform for Image Tower to receive subsidies. There are already Cyber Towers. We are creating yet another landmark for our audio-visual sector and the city with Image Tower.

In the next five years, Hyderabad will be the largest hub for the animation, visual effects, and gaming industries. Image Tower will house many global and domestic firms and studios. Their vendors will all back them up. Film, television, and post-production facilities will be operational from here, assisting global studios. The Image Tower will eventually dwarf Dubai Media City in size.

What is your view of the VFX business today? What are some of the challenges and opportunities?

Local VFX firms working on international projects face a significant challenge. The Hollywood strike has had an impact on the industry for the past year or so. Things should start working in the following three to four months. By next year, the cycle will have changed, and new projects for workflow will begin. I am upbeat and hopeful about business prospects in the coming months.