Branson sets up comic venture in India

By agencies   |   Monday, 09 January 2006, 20:30 IST
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MUMBAI: Flamboyant British entrepreneur Richard Branson has joined Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and author Deepak Chopra to develop comic books and animation for India and other Asian markets. Gotham Entertainment Group, a Kapur-Chopra venture, and Branson will set up Virgin Comics LLC in New York, and Virgin Animation Pvt. Ltd. in Bangalore. A Gotham Entertainment group statement said, "In the next decade, Asia will become one of the largest producers, as well as the largest consumers, of entertainment products." It also said the Virgin Comics will look to Asia, and especially India, as a growing consumer market for entertainment products as well as a source of content. "On the back of global movie and licensing deals, the market for comics and graphic novels worldwide is exploding," Virgin Books executive chairman Adrian Sington said in the statement. "Much of the growth ... has come from the emergence of comics out of Asia." The companies will target children and young people in India, the world’s most prolific film producer. More than half of India's billion-plus population are younger than 25.