Arena Animation sees faster growth at foreign centres

Arena Animation — the animation and multimedia training business arm of global learning solutions company Aptech — is seeing greater growth from overseas markets as compared with the domestic market.

Its India revenues, which are currently around Rs 175 crore, are expected to grow 30 per cent, while its overseas revenues might see a growth rate of 42-43 per cent in this calendar year.

“We have one centre each in places like Russia, Latin America, Syria, Jordan and other parts of West Asia and are opening more centres by partnering local players there to provide us the physical infrastructure. Also, we plan to set up new centres in Brazil and Malaysia this year,” Arena Animation's Global Head Anuj Kacker said.

In the franchisee model that Arena follows, it provides the technical know-how, curriculum, content, examination support and evaluation and placements for students. In India, the company already has around 170 training centres and plans to open another 25 in Tier II and III cities by the end of this year. “Demand is now coming from important cities beyond the state capitals because a lot of regional local content is being developed in vernacular languages for the local audience,” added Kacker.

A recent KPMG-Ficci report estimated the Indian animation industry's size at Rs 1,740 crore in 2008. It has been growing rapidly with an estimated CAGR (compounded annual growth rate) of 20.1 per cent in 2006-08 and is estimated to reach a size of about Rs 3,900 crore by 2013. Among the different segments of the animation industry, the animation production services segment is estimated to grow the fastest with a CAGR of 17.8 per cent over 2009-13.