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Major changes at Kids Animation India Pvt Ltd

Written by : Vrinda Oberai

Though there has been no major intimation or news, but as per industry insiders and the resultant buzz, we bring to you the exclusive changes that have recently happened at Kids Media, Kids Animation India Pvt Ltd and One India Distribution Hub which have been churning out business operations for Animation International Ltd (AI) in India. However, now the licensing bit of the business has been taken out of the above verticals, treating it as a separate identity, making the operations centralized; and have been put under AI.

There is no clarity about Rajiv Sangari, who has been serving as the CEO and MD of Spacetoon India, with regards to his new role in Animation International or if he has moved on to explore further opportunities outside the company. Nitin Kalra who has initially served as Associate Director – Licensing, Kid Media India Pvt Ltd has now taken up a new role as Director-Licensing, AI Licensing India Pvt Ltd.

According to Kalra, the same has been done to bring about synergies in all the markets, since AI is present across 13 countries and has vast licensing operations. Kalra has called the taking out of the licensing businesses from the three above mentioned verticals and having put them under AI as ‘re-branding’.

As we spoke to few of the licensees who worked with Kids Animation India Pvt Ltd, we reviewed that they were not very satisfied with the way things worked for their licensing business. They did not get any official intimation about the changes that were taking shape back at the company too. They did not wish to get named while sharing their experience.

Sandeep Kapoor, CEO, York Transational, has not had a very fruitful experience as he did not get the due support from the licensor which seemed like a basic expectation. “It has de-motivated me to work with any licensor in the times to come,” he expresses. It was his first experience in India with respect to licensing as he signed a deal for Archies. The deal is valid until end of the year 2013 and implies Kids Animation India Pvt Ltd as the agent for taking the deal through between the licensor and licensee.