The Time Is Now: Hakuhodo India Survey Shows Anime Has Become a Mobile-First Cultural Habit in India

New Delhi, July 14, 2026 — Hakuhodo India, a leading marketing solutions company, launched THE TIME IS NOW, a consumer study on the growing influence of Japanese anime intellectual property (IP) in India — now the world’s third-largest anime viewing market. The study explores how Indian anime viewers watch, share and consume anime, revealing a market that is increasingly mobile-first, socially connected and lifestyle-driven.

Conducted across eight cities, the quantitative and qualitative research focuses on the anime-viewing consumer segment and combines face-to-face survey, home visits and expert interviews. The findings show that anime has moved beyond niche fandom in India and is becoming part of daily life for young consumers, while also highlighting significant headroom for future growth in merchandising and monetization.

Jayanto Banerjee, Co-Managing Director said, “We track emerging trends through INSIGHT OUT LAB and this is our latest study on drivers behind growing popularity of anime in India. We believe that anime is poised to emerge out of being a niche culture to becoming mainstream in the near future. It already plays a role far beyond entertainment to becoming life crutch for many.”

The key trends and findings are as follows:

Mobile-first viewing: Anime viewing in India is overwhelmingly smartphone-led. Smartphones are used by 95.9% of respondents, followed by TV at 72.3%, reflecting a viewing environment shaped by convenience, portability and everyday use.

OTT first, TV still present: OTT platforms remain central to anime consumption, with Netflix at 74% leading the usage followed by Jio Hotstar/Disney+ at 69.1%, YouTube at 68.8% and Amazon Prime at 56.4% usage. At the same time, TV channels such as Cartoon Network continue to hold relevance at 48%, showing that anime viewing in India is supported by both digital and traditional access points.

Dubbing drives accessibility: 61.1% viewers prefer dubbed anime, with 73.1% Indians choosing Hindi as the preferred dubbed language for audio. For subtitle language settings, by contrast, English was most preferred at 68.9%, while Hindi remained at 23.3%. This split suggests that anime in India is being consumed through two clear modes: one prioritizing easy, casual viewing, and the other favouring original audio with English subtitles.

Anime as social currency: Anime is not just watched — it is talked about. 66% anime-related activity is discussing anime with friends, followed by 44% preferring posting content on social media and 43.4% following anime creators online. This indicates that anime functions as a shared language among peers and a meaningful part of social interaction.

Anime merchandise purchases are concentrated in everyday-use categories such as apparel, stationery, accessories and bags. Rather than being limited to collector items, anime goods are increasingly used as a form of self-expression in daily life.

Spending remains early-stage: When asked how much they had spent on anime-related activities over the past six months, working professionals most commonly fell in the INR 1,500–2,000 band (35.3%), while students and homemakers most commonly fell in the INR 500–1,000 band (36.8%). For both groups, however, responses were concentrated in the INR 500–2,000 range, indicating a relatively small difference in spending levels regardless of employment status. Heavy spenders of INR 6,000 or more accounted for just 2.1% of working professionals and 2.9% of students and homemakers, showing that they remain a small minority. The findings underline anime’s evolution in India from a viewing interest into a broader cultural and consumer phenomenon. The study also highlights a clear opportunity for brands and rights holders to build deeper engagement through localized content, trusted distribution and lifestyle-relevant merchandise.

Going forward, Hakuhodo India will continue to leverage a range of insights and networks, including this survey, and devote itself to supporting the overseas expansion of Japanese anime IP.

Outline of research

Quantitative research	Qualitative research
Methodology: Offline survey	Methodology: Home visits and Expert Interviews
Survey area: 8 cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Nagpur and Kochi)	Survey area: Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Nagpur
Sample size: Males and females aged 15-39, 1200 samples in total	Sample size: Males and females aged 18-38 years, 13 sample size in total and 4 expert interviews.
Survey period: Dec 2025-Jan 2026	Survey period: Dec 2025 – Jan 2026

About Hakuhodo India

Hakuhodo India, launched in 2000, is a leading integrated marketing solutions company with four main brand agencies—Hakuhodo.Sync, Hakuhodo.Lync, Hakuhodo.Wyng, and MA+TH—and a strong network including AdGlobal360, Auburn Digital, Hakuhodo Digital, and PMG. With eleven offices and over 2000 experts, Hakuhodo India offers a full spectrum of services from marketing consulting and creative solutions to digital, experiential, content, and advanced tech & AI services. Rooted in sei-katsu-sha insight, Hakuhodo combines creativity, data, and technology to drive innovation and deliver meaningful impact for brands and society. For more information, visit our website: www.hakuhodoindia.com