To select the state level qualifier of WAVES Anime & Manga Contest, the Media & Entertainment Association of India (MEAI) is organizing WAM! (WAVES Anime & Manga Contest) in Bengaluru at VVN Degree College, Basavanagudi on April 15, 2025. The qualifier from Karnataka will participate in WAM! National Finale at WAVES 2025 in Mumbai.

“Bengaluru has always been a hub for innovation and creativity, and we’re excited to see what art will emerge from this city. As the final state qualifier before the grand finale, WAM! Bengaluru is bound to be extraordinary. WAM! gives Indian creators a national platform to dream, compete, and ultimately be seen globally,” said Ankur Bhasin, Secretary, Media & Entertainment Association of India (MEAI).

Before Bengaluru, there have been spectacular editions across Guwahati, Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Delhi, Varanasi, Mumbai, Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

What is WAM!?

WAM! (WAVES Anime & Manga Contest) is India’s first national platform to discover and promote original Indian IPs across five dynamic categories:

-Anime (Japanese-style animated content)

-Manga (Japanese-style comics)

-Webtoons (digital vertical storytelling)

-Cosplay (costume performance of original or fan characters)

-Voice Acting

The contest is part of WAVES (World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit), India’s largest AVGC-XR and media platform, and is backed by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. WAM! aligns with the Create in India vision to build a robust ecosystem for Indian creators in the global IP space.

WAM! Bengaluru winners will receive:

-WACOM Pen Tablets

-Faber-Castell Art Goodies

-Official WAM! & TRIO Merchandise

-Cash Prizes

Winners will qualify for the WAM! National Finale at WAVES 2025, and national champions will earn an all-expense-paid trip to Anime Japan 2026 in Tokyo, representing India on the world’s biggest anime stage.

Additional Opportunities for Finalists

-Winning anime pilots will be dubbed in Hindi, English, and Japanese by Gulmohar Media for international exposure.

-Winning webtoons will be distributed globally on the Toonsutra platform.

Open for All

WAM! is open to students and professionals. Entry is free.

Participants must pre-register at: https://meai.in/wam

About WAVES

The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit, a milestone event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.

Whether you're an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator, the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.

WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).

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