The first day of the VAM (VFX and More) Summit & Awards x The Content Hub, held on 14 May at Nesco, Mumbai, celebrated the spirit of the media and entertainment industry by bringing together filmmakers, producers, VFX supervisors, industry leaders, and vibrant audiences under one roof.
Revolving around the combined themes “AI x Creativity: Redefining Storytelling in 2026” and “Content Acceleration: The Race for Attention,” the event highlights the growing impact of artificial intelligence and the fast-evolving landscape of content creation in shaping the future of storytelling. It brought together several creative minds from the media, entertainment and visual effects industry.
Day one of the two-day summit and awards commenced with a traditional lamp lighting ceremony in the presence of AnimationXpress founder, chairman, and editor-in-chief Anil NM Wanvari, director Mishaal Wanvari, chief operating officer Neha Singhal Mehta, along with other dignitaries.
The opening session featured an engaging panel discussion on The State of Play in the Indian VFX Industry. The panel included DNEG India studio head AR Seshaprasad, Pixstone Images CEO Srinivasan S; Fractal Picture founder and CEO Anish Mulani, and FutureWorks Media managing director Gaurav Gupta. The session was moderated by Digital District CEO Rutul Patel. It navigated the evolving VFX ecosystem in India, industry challenges, emerging technologies, and the growing global opportunities for Indian studios.
The summit further showcased VFX breakdowns and behind-the-scenes insights from highly acclaimed projects giving attendees an in-depth understanding of the creative and technical processes involved in large-scale productions.
For ‘Bhooth Bangla VFX Breakdown | Horror Meets Houdini | WRC × Tathastu’ session WRC Studios founder Rudra Mazumder; WRC Studios VFX supervisor Dipansu Haldar; Tathastu Techno Solution technology head Venu Victor and Tathastu Techno Solution technical consultant Viswesh Rameshkumar graced the occasion. The presentation on
Tech giant Foundry, who was on board as the event’s associate partner, showcased the new workflows introduced in the recent releases of Nuke 17.0 and Katana 9.0. Their session: Smarter, Faster, Bolder: Future-Proof Your Studio with Foundry’s Latest presented by Foundry pipeline creative services senior manager Martin Mayer highlighted cutting-edge tools, workflows, and pipeline innovations designed to help studios adapt to the rapidly evolving demands of the entertainment industry.
During the session From Legacy to Sequel: Crafting Border 2, Labyrinth Studios founder & creative director Siddhartha Jayakar highlighted how digital artistry blended seamlessly with practical effects to create aerial dogfights and explosive ground combat.
Another important discussion during the summit was Talent Development & Education in VFX. The panel addressed the ongoing talent crisis and the disruption in creative pipelines caused by the rapid adoption of AI technologies. Industry experts discussed how educational institutions and studios are working together to bridge the knowledge gap and prepare future-ready talent.
The panel included Framestore resource management head Kartiki Patil; IICT academics director Sathish Narayanan; IIT Bombay- IDC School of Design professor Sumant Rao; Frameboxx founder and director Rajesh Turakhia; Bot VFX learning and development head Shaswati Chowdhury; and Arena Animation and Vedatma College of Design, Technology & Management educationist B.S. Srinivas. Industry Speaker & Advisor Jayanti Mahapatra steered the conversation.
Another major highlight of the day was the panel discussion titled India’s Acclaimed Women Icons Redefining the Entertainment Landscape, which celebrated the achievements and contributions of women leaders in the industry. The esteemed speakers who came together for this superbly interesting discourse were renowned actress, known for Chiraiya, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Divya Dutta; actress known for Badhaai Ho, Bandish Bandits Sheeba Chaddha; actress known for The Great Shamsuddin Family, The Family Man Shreya Dhanwanthary; Fremantle India managing director Aradhana Bhola; and actress known for Bindiya Ke Bahubali, The Storyteller Tannishtha Chatterjee. RJ & film critic Stutee Ghosh moderated the panel.
The event also featured a fireside chat: Decoding VFX Spectacles, led by Arka Mediaworks co-founder Shobu Yarlagadda and chaired by AnimationXpress founder, chairman & editor-in-chief Anil NM Wanvari. The discussion explored the scale, vision, and innovation behind large cinematic VFX spectacles and the future of immersive storytelling.
Another key presentation titled Shatak – Making of India’s First AI Feature Film was delivered by Paperboat Design Studios founder, director, and producer Aashish Mall. The session explored the creative process, challenges, and innovations involved in developing an AI-driven feature film, offering audiences a glimpse into the future of AI-powered storytelling.
The summit also hosted an insightful panel discussion on The Business & Ethics of VFX Today. The session focused on the dual priorities of sustainability and profitability in the modern VFX landscape, while addressing challenges such as tight margins, evolving business models, and talent shifts within the industry.
The panel featured philmCGI co-founder and managing director Anand Bhanushali; NY VFXWaala business head Yogesh Chhag; Astra Studios founder and chief business officer RK Chand; Phantom Media Group chief business officer Rajan E; LittleBlackStar Visual Effects co-founder and business head Meghana Tirumalasetty, and ZebuFX co-founder and executive producer Nimish Shah. The session was chaired by Resonance Digital founder and CEO Abhyuday Grover.
In another panel discussion, Growing Smart: VFX Studios on Entrepreneurship & Scaling- Part one, Ek Number Studios founder & CEO Vrushank Joshi; Capsule VFX visual effects supervisor Niraj Sinha; and WRC Studios founder/ production head Samridhi Khurana, explored sustainability and scaling. The session was moderated by Arena Animation and Vedatma College of Design, Technology & Management educationist B.S. Srinivas.
Day one concluded with an insightful panel discussion that focused on entrepreneurship, studio growth, business scalability, and the future roadmap for emerging VFX companies in India.
The VAM x TCH Summit 2026 was co-powered by SideFX, Tathastu Techno Solutions, and Dangal TV. Gold partners included Adobe, Assemblage Entertainment, Cinesite, Trixter, and Banijay. Associate partners included ARK Infosolutions, Autodesk, Foundry, and Fremantle. The event was further supported by industry partners such as Famous Studios, Hoichoi, Vertigo TV, Rose Audio Visual, Aha, Chana Jor, Frameo.AI, XP Pen, PhantomFX, NY VFXWaala, VolumeX, Disk Archive, Gseams, GTC Punjabi, Rusk, Broadvision and Techno Digital. Bright Outdoor Media joined as the outdoor media partner, while Assemblage Entertainment was the lanyard & badges partner.
The Government of Maharashtra Industries Department, along with MAITRI (Maharashtra Industry, Trade and Investment Facilitation Cell), served as the state host for the event. The event is organised by AnimationXpress, and Indian Television Dot Com. It is executed by BeaconX.
The inaugural day of the VAM Summit x TCH 2026 wrapped up successfully, leaving attendees eager for the engaging sessions lined up on day two.
