Creators Street, India’s premier AVGC-XR platform, wrapped up its 2025 edition at Indiajoy with remarkable success—celebrating the nation’s vibrant growth in comics, animation, gaming, and immersive technologies. Hosted at HITEX Hyderabad from October 31 to November 2, the event evolved from its debut as Comic Street (2024) into a dynamic, multi-sector festival honoring storytellers, innovators, and creative entrepreneurs.
ICA’s Expansive Showcase and Industry Engagement
The Indian Comics Association (ICA) spearheaded a lively pavilion featuring six trailblazing publishers: Chitragaatha, Cinemics, Cosmics, Flydreams, Alpha Comics, and Forbidden Verse. Their collective presence highlighted ICA’s dedication to cultivating original intellectual properties and diverse storytelling formats—from Indian manga to myth-inspired narratives. ICA also played a key role in fostering cross-sector collaboration, engaging with regional AVGC-XR bodies including the Madhya Pradesh AVGC-XR Network, which had a strong delegation at the event. Strategic discussions with ABAI and other state-level organizations laid the foundation for inter-state creator mobility and cooperative frameworks.
Spotlight: Ashwin Kumar’s Visit
A standout moment was the visit of Ashwin Kumar, director of the blockbuster animated feature Mahavatar Narsimha. With global box office earnings exceeding ₹300 crore, the film has set a new benchmark for Indian animation. Kumar’s interactions with ICA and fellow creators ignited dialogue around building a mythological cinematic universe rooted in Indian lore and elevated by global production standards.
Honoring Creative Excellence: The AVGC Awards 2025
Creators Street AVGC Awards celebrated achievements across comics, animation, gaming, and influencer domains:
- Platinum: That Man Solomon: Born Again (Holy Cow Entertainment)
- Diamond: Ancient Temples of India (Amar Chitra Katha)
- Gold: Technicolour Lovers Reel 1 (Black Sheep)
- Platinum: Saahil S Sharma (Animo-City Issue 1, Alpha Comics)
- Diamond: Bijoy Raveendran (Technicolour Lovers Reel 1, Black Sheep)
- Gold: Saahil S Sharma (The War Cook, Alpha Comics)
- Platinum: Dildeep Singh (Kotwal, Alpha Comics)
- Diamond: Aswin Amarnath (REVA, Cinemics)
- Gold: Utsab Chatterjee (Technicolour Lovers Reel 1, Black Sheep)
- Platinum: Athila Fabbio (Flavorville, Forbidden Verse)
- Diamond: Harendra Singh Saini (Avik Amaira: The Paranormal Files – Nishi, Chitragaatha Comics)
- Gold: Sourav Naiya (Chandrakanta 1, Cinemics)
- Platinum: Billy – The Incremental Detective (Cinemics)
- Diamond: My Nani is an Alien (Alpha Comics)
- Gold: Tinkle Holiday Special 55 (Amar Chitra Katha)
- Platinum: Soul Contract Chapter 1 (Cosmics Entertainment)
- Diamond: Hanta Issue 1 (Alpha Comics)
- Gold: The World Beyond (Qissa Comics)
- Platinum: Avik Amaira: The Paranormal Files – Nishi (Chitragaatha Comics)
- Diamond: Technicolour Lovers Reel 1 (Black Sheep)
- Gold: The Legend of Watakattu – Police Academy (Alpha Comics)
- Best Rising Talent in Comics
- Platinum: Anadi Abhilash (Chitragaatha Comics)
- Diamond: Mithilesh Gupta (FlyDreams Comics)
- Best Indie Creator Comics
- Platinum: The Eye of God – Twishampan Das
- The Year I Was Born – Keep Rolling Films
- Maha Ganesha – Thinksense
- Gully Gangs: Street Cricket – 5th Ocean Studios
- SQUARACE – Plus 91 Innovations Pvt Ltd
- Best 2D Animation/Anime Influencer
- Platinum: B Mohan Krishna (Anime Professor Telugu)
- Diamond: Arun Kumar (Naruto Reddy)
- Gold: Prem Chand (Telugu Senpai)
- Best Comics/Manga Influencer
- Platinum: Somya Mohan Sharma (The Drawing House)
- Diamond: Dr. Siddhartha Bose (Comics & You)
Shaping the Future of AVGC-XR
More than a showcase, Creators Street 2025 served as a strategic hub for creators, technologists, educators, and policymakers. Through immersive installations, expert-led masterclasses, and government-industry mixers, the event reaffirmed Indiajoy’s role as a national accelerator for AVGC-XR innovation. ICA continues to lead the charge for Create in India initiatives, including the forthcoming Comics Creator Championship at Waves 2025, and remains steadfast in its mission to build enduring IP ecosystems that bridge Indian heritage with global storytelling formats.
