The 2026 edition of the International Animation Film Market (Mifa), held in conjunction with the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in Annecy, France, has witnessed strong participation from the outset. Opening on 23 June, the bustling marketplace has drawn animation industry stakeholders from around the world, serving as a key hub for business, collaboration, and innovation in the global animation sector.
This year marked India’s first dedicated presence through the India Pavilion at Annecy, bringing together around 40 to 48 companies and 100 plus individual stakeholders from across the animation, VFX, gaming, and content creation ecosystem. The initiative has been taken by the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC), under Indian government’s Commerce & Industry ministry with the support of the Information & Broadcasting (MIB) ministry. While, the government of Karnataka and ABAI are also hosting an India Pavilion leading the the Karnataka delegation representing the state’s industry leaders, studios, startups, academic institutions and government representatives.
“The Annecy Festival is one of the biggest events of its kind in France, and we need to leverage it far more strategically. Beyond participation, our objective should be to use this platform as a springboard for Indian content creators and studios to showcase their capabilities, build international relationships, and create new opportunities for collaboration,” Consul General of India, Marseille, France Rupjyoti Brahma Karjee told Animation Xpress post inaugurating the Indian pavilions at Mifa.
Appreciating SEPC’s efforts, Karjee mentioned that the turnout represented a promising start, the focus now is on expanding participation and strengthening India’s visibility at the global event. “Alongside business networking and market activities at MIFA, there is also a growing emphasis on studying emerging creative and technological trends that can benefit Indian companies competing in international markets.”
“The AVGC-XR sector has been identified as a key area for promoting India’s services exports, and the Service Export Promotion Council (SEPC), under the Ministry of Commerce, has been actively supporting its global outreach. While the industry continues to face certain challenges, the opportunities are immense,” said SEPC director general Abhay Sinha.
According to him, France is one of the most important markets for animation and creative content, and Indian companies have been participating at Mipcom for years, but many of the studios missed the Mifa at Annecy. For him, this year marks a significant milestone with the establishment of the India Pavilion for the first time, made possible through the support of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the Consulate General of India in Marseille, and SEPC.
“The Annecy Festival is an absolute must-attend event for anyone involved in animation and, increasingly, in CG and visual effects. It is the place where professionals, studios, broadcasters, distributors, and entire countries come together to showcase the very best of their creative ecosystems. In today’s digitally connected world, new geographies are constantly entering the marketplace, and Mifa offers a unique opportunity to understand how productions, co-productions, distribution partnerships, and financing deals come together in an environment that is both dynamic and collaborative,” said ABAI president and Astra Studios founder and CEO Biren Ghose.
Personally, after nearly 25 years of attending Annecy, Ghose still consider it indispensable. “Even when I arrive without a specific project or deal in mind, I invariably leave with valuable insights, relationships, or opportunities that prove meaningful in the months and years ahead. That is the true value of Annecy, it continues to create possibilities long after the festival is over.”
As part of India’s participation, the SEPC’s India pavilion features a strategically located exhibition and meeting space at booth B43, designed to showcase the country’s growing creative ecosystem. It includes dedicated networking and business-to-business engagement opportunities, meeting zones for interactions with global buyers and partners, and branding opportunities for participating organisations.
This highlight India’s capabilities across animation, visual effects (VFX), gaming, comics, extended reality (XR), and creative technology sectors. Participating companies are expected to benefit from promotional support through pavilion collateral and communication materials. Attending Mifa, the aim of the delegation is to further strengthen India’s presence in the global animation and digital content industry while promoting the country as a leading hub for creative content, technology-driven storytelling, and AVGC-XR services.
