The 6th edition of the India Kids Summit brought together some of the most esteemed industry panel experts to engage in interesting conversations which ranged from talking about the markets that cater around kids, the content they consume and much more, empowering the youth, brands and much more.
One of the burning topics that was discussed in depth was Branded Content and Kids Entertainment: A Win-Win Formula? The session was moderated by Soumini Sridhara Paul, Senior Vice President, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Private Limited moderated the session with Saumitra Prasad, Chief Marketing Officer, DOMS Industries Limited, Preeti Vyas, President & CEO, Amar Chitra Katha Pvt. Ltd, Sanjeev Dubey, Founder, ExtraChildhood, Dr. Rajeev Rastogi, Founder & Managing Director, White Apple, Tanuja Gomes, Co-Founder & Co CEO Furtados School of Music and Neha Madhani, Category Head, Piramal Consumer Healthcare.
Soumini: Neha, since this topic is about branded content, how have you dealt with catering to kids?
Neha: International norms are much more challenging and now Indian brands are also doing that. Normal heroes or normal cricketers aren’t influencing kids anymore. Let’s integrate with cartoon characters or anime characters. We really witnessed that change after that. Integrating these animated characters into being our product is influencing the kids to be consumers.
Soumini: Animation and VFX seem to be the buzzword right now. What role do you think kids play in this?
Rajeev: Indian market is scary with animation content. Lots of big houses have tried with their animation content and haven’t done well. Today, the perspective has changed and evolved. With newer technology, we have an important role to play for kids. Right now, we are creating a lot of IPs through AI and creating a full 2-hour film through AI. It’s a long way to go. We are trying to blend animation, VFX and AI together. AI is yet to be exposed to that level where kids have that reach. You haven’t yet seen the real quality of what AI can produce.
Soumini: How have you looked at Furtados in the long term, Tanuja?
Tanuja: We are actually looking to minimise the use and input of animation and screen time. Our biggest model is we partner with schools and we are teaching about 100,000 kids music and dance – the beauty is what we are able to have them learn without their screen time.
Soumini: How are you able to still manage the sanctity of Tinkle, Preeti?
Preeti: With Tinkle, the word that comes up is trust. When the parent sees them reading Tinkle, it is safe for them. Parents often don’t know how to talk to their kids about depression, and when a character in the story of a Tinkle book is talking about it, it connects and the kid understands it. There’s a joke about it as well, we are Tinkle around 45 years and no character has died yet.
Soumini: How has the journey been for ExtraChildhood?
Sanjeev: I was so surprised that 70 percent of kids in villages don’t have a smartphone. Children have more freedom in cities but in Tier-2 or Tier-3 cities, their parents still have a say. There, we have realised that everyone is telling the child what to be done. Hence, 3 years ago, we created this platform where the children decide what they want to say, what they want to talk about and be heard.
Soumini: How do you ensure PNL is the focus and long-term impact is the focus?
Saumitra: PNL is the focus but the purpose of the company being in place is so much more important. We at DOMS are inspiring throughout our values and actions. It is a long-term perspective that we believe in and only when we can earn the trust of our parents.
The panel collectively shared thoughtful and nuanced perspectives on how the landscape of kids’ content is shifting, evolving with technology, values, and emotional intelligence. From blending animation and AI to tapping into trust, education, and screen-free learning models, the conversation highlighted how branded content today is not just about reach and visibility—but about building lasting, responsible relationships with young audiences and their families.
