Top Five Character IPs Trending in India

Animated characters like Chhota Bheem, Little Singham or Pokemon are enjoying unparalleled success in India and leading to various licensing spin-offs

Launched in 2008, the series is based on an extremely intelligent, strong and brave young boy, who along with his friends, Chutki, Raju and Jaggu, fights all those evil forces that that seek to harm their village Dholakpur. Chhota Bheem is perceived as one the most famous indigenous IPs. The theme and setup of the show is centric to India and thus helps the audience to directly connect with it. Chhota Bheem has some amazing collaborations with a multidisciplinary portfolio to showcase. One of the spin-offs is a roller-coaster ride at Imagica, a theme park near Pune, in association with Green Gold Animation. Chhota Bheem Swachh Bharat Run, a game by Nazara in collaboration with Green Gold Animation, was launched to cultivate the sense of cleanliness in the country’s young generation. The game was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat initiative. Green Gold Animation also has a long-term tie-up with Toonz Retail for licensed merchandise and apparel. They have now forayed into dental hygiene products in association with Colgate and Aquawhite.  

Reliance Entertainment in collaboration with Discovery Kids premiered the show on April 21, 2018. It showcases the life of Singham, a little boy, who fights criminals, monsters and dangerous mutants to save his city. The IP is represented by Dream Theatre. Little Singham in collaboration with Nazara launched a mobile game which boasts of 10 million downloads so far. Their merchandising portfolio includes toys, apparel, back-to-school, footwear, fashion accessories, bags, sporting goods, FMCG products, retail partnerships, and more.  

The journey of this IP began on April 23, 1998 with the establishment of The Pokemon Company, a joint venture between Nintendo, Game Freak and Creatures. Headquartered in Japan, the company is responsible for brand management, production, marketing and licensing of the Pokemon franchise which consists of video game software, a trading card game, animated television series, films, home entertainment products, merchandise, and other ventures. The IP is one of the most renowned in the world. Their licensed products’ portfolio boasts collaboration with brands like H and M, Adidas, 10.Deep, and more. H and M launched an entire collection inspired by the movie ‘Detective Pikachu’ which included not just graphic T-shirts but also button-down shirts, dresses, leggings, etc. Adidas’ Originals collaborated with Pokemon to launch Pikachu and Squirtle sneakers. 10.Deep’s Pokemon Capsule had apparel inspired by the all-time favourites Bulbasaur, Charmendar, Squirtle and Pikachu.  

The Emoji Company represented by Bradford Licensing in India, has about 17,000+ brand icons and designs available for legal licensing. There’s only a smidge of brands that can claim the kind of market awareness that Emoji Company boasts. The Emoji Company was awarded the best teen or adult licensed property at this year’s licensing awards. They have famously tied up with Ferrero Kinder Joy, Burger King, Tezenis, Aldi and Kidiliz Group, among others.  

A very popular Japanese series written and illustrated by Fujiko Fujio, the story revolves around a robotic cat that travelled back in time from 22^nd century to aid a boy named Nobita Nobi. Doraemon is so widely loved that in March 2008 Japan’s foreign ministry appointed Doraemon as the nation’s first anime ambassador. The Doraemon franchise has had several licensed merchandise in their court. As of 2016, Doraemon had generated at least USD 5.592 billion in sale of licensed merchandise alone. Toonsmart has been profiting off licensed merchandise from Doraemon in India for about a year now.