Toonsutra: India's Webtoon Revolution in Local Languages

[Vol-TE]

India’s thirst for localized entertainment is booming, with over 870 million users craving content in their native languages. Toonsutra is capitalizing on this trend by licensing global comics, translating them into Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and more. With a solid user base of over 500,000 monthly active users and $5.9 million in funding from industry giants like Google and Funimation founders, Toonsutra aims to become the go-to platform for high-quality webtoons, focusing on curation rather than user-generated content. This startup's innovative monetization strategies could reshape the regional comics landscape.

Do you think localized content is the future of entertainment in India? What other genres do you want to see get a similar treatment?

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/11/google-back-toonsutra-to-grow-its-webtoons-platform-in-india/

 

[6pack]

Analysts predict anime and webtoons will see healthy growth in India. For example, anime streaming service Crunchyroll has invested heavily in India — its subscription plans are tailored to Indian price levels, and its catalog even has anime dubbed in some local languages.

Unless the older generation dies off in some mass catastrophe, this won't happen. The younger generation might take to "cartoons", but we cannot change the mindset of old people. there's a lot of negativity here regarding "cartoons" and people make fun of older people watching "cartoons" saying it's for kids only. Plus a lot of these western comics have social aspects that would look out of place here like going to beach in swimwear, etc. Our culture is too closeted and there's lots of self appointed gatekeepers here who will get ready to ban these "cartoons" on grounds of obscenity. We will never get the sort of mass adoption of anime or western comics in India like in you have in Japan or USA.

 

[Renegade]

Fair points. Porn was banned in India and yet it is still pervasive. I am sure cartoons will find their niche. Now we dont have to sit in the middle of the house and watch anything we want in full view of the family and guests. The entire shift in the industry is due to the adoption and usage on mobile phones. Even TE has 60%+ traffic coming from mobile devices now. We need a mobile app before the end of this year!

 

[TEUser2K1]

Unless the older generation dies off in some mass catastrophe, this won't happen.

Apart from ageism based identity politics hate, what is with this disgusting disregard against other people's life ? If that is the spirit, why should any person care about other in this world ? If you want others to treat you with respect or decency irrespective of age or any other parameter, have some humane sense first.

and people make fun of older people watching "cartoons" saying it's for kids only.

How about poopy-headed kids getting some sanity in their own heads ?
What about mobile addiction in brain-rotten children these days which is partially fueled by cartoons ? How to control such psychological issues ? Of course that is because their parents are not taking care of these poopy-heads nappies properly...
Will wish rather some new-age funda or drug bring rare eclectic sanity to newgen morons who don't want to be aware of their own problems even when told off.

 

[joel.elias.333]

what is with this disgusting disregard against other people's life ? If you want others to treat you with respect or decency irrespective of age or any other parameter, have some humane sense first.

Will wish rather some new-age funda or drug bring rare eclectic sanity to newgen morons who don't want to be aware of their own problems even when told off.

k

 

[6pack]

Apart from ageism based identity politics hate, what is with this disgusting disregard against other people's life ? If that is the spirit, why should any person care about other in this world ? If you want others to treat you with respect or decency irrespective of age or any other parameter, have some humane sense first.

How about poopy-headed kids getting some sanity in their own heads ?
What about mobile addiction in brain-rotten children these days which is partially fueled by cartoons ? How to control such psychological issues ? Of course that is because their parents are not taking care of these poopy-heads nappies properly...
Will wish rather some new-age funda or drug bring rare eclectic sanity to newgen morons who don't want to be aware of their own problems even when told off.

You took it out of context. I don't have disregard for human or animal or any life, I was just saying that old people are the cause of a lot of stress here. I'm one of those old people, but I don't cause stress to others. I have a live and let live motto but others do not. My mind is open, others do not have such an open mind. You talked about respect, but no one thinks about respect or compromise when banning stuff on religious grounds or decency here. Yes, then by your own logic, no one should care about anyone in this world and all laws should be equal, but still courts and govt go and ban stuff.
Rest of stuff has nothing to do wrt to the topic so I won't talk anything on it.

 

[TEUser2K1]

You took it out of context. I don't have disregard for human or animal or any life

Looks different when read:

Unless the older generation dies off in some mass catastrophe

Which is typical on social media for sometime. Find this kind of talk against anyone, old or young inhumane and without morals. Didn't want to direct at you personally, but have seen these kind of comments in lot of social media posts - petty hate on old people, a kind of pathetic psychotic behavior.

I'm one of those old people, but I don't cause stress to others. I have a live and let live motto but others do not. My mind is open, others do not have such an open mind.

This is how many young people think about themselves (irrespective of whatever is your or anyone's age I mean).
There are also tons of problems created by young people these days in society, but people generally tend to ignore it considering they are culpable, immature, or their age generally, etc. because it's not the accepted norm. Nobody will comment about wishing them to die off in a catastrophe and wish for finding an elixir which can extend sane headed old people's lives better..

You talked about respect, but no one thinks about respect or compromise when banning stuff on religious grounds or decency here.

That is religion, it took centuries to evolve, may still evolve for better. Don't see new-age youth too evolving for better either.

Yes, then by your own logic, no one should care about anyone in this world and all laws should be equal, but still courts and govt go and ban stuff.

Humans have to live in a society. Now-a-days people handling law can be found to be acting more immaturely young to show how progressive an unkill they are, where it is not all deserved.

Rest of stuff has nothing to do wrt to the topic so I won't talk anything on it.

Rest of the stuff is about main topic, how children deal with cartoons, devices which cater to it and serious bad effects associated.
Sorry if this comes out as a rant, didn't want to offend anybody, rather felt there are some disconnects in the comments.