Indian Comic Book Awards Debuts in Mumbai

India’s comic book industry held its first dedicated national awards on May 8, 2026, as the Comic Book Trust of India launched the inaugural Indian Comic Book Awards. The inaugural edition in Mumbai honored the best work published by Indian creators through 2025.

The first edition of Indian Comic Book Awards spanned eight categories, from Best Comic Book and Best Writer to Best Webcomic and Best Lettering. The initiative was first announced by Jatin Varma, founder and former CEO of Comic Con India, to recognize Indian comic artists.

“With these Awards, we aim to build a lasting platform for Indian comics and lay a strong foundation for the country’s AVGC sector,” stated Verma, while discussing how the award aims to build a professional ecosystem for Indian artists.

Indian Comic Book Awards: Winners and the Vision Behind the Awards

Indian comics remain fragmented despite rising global demand for graphic storytelling and intellectual property-driven entertainment. The Indian Comic Book Awards recognize comic titles across mainstream publishing, independent comics, and digital-first storytelling formats, in a time when Indian IPs are getting outsourced by streamers like Netflix.

Black Sheep and Yali Dream Works’ Technicolour Lovers Vol.1: Aaranya Kaandam, swept four Gold categories, including Best Comic Book, Best Artist, and Best Writer, proving its superior storytelling and art style. However, a single-title-dominance also shows an exposure gap which the Comic Book Trust aims to address.

The Gold Winners of the Indian Comic Book Awards 2026 are:

The event also featured a jury that brought together globally recognized artists such as Dan Parent and Vaibhav Kumaresh. The awards were also committed to recognizing original, human-made work, a stance that the Trust has taken to promote the “integrity of human-led creativity.” Sanjay Gupta, creator of the iconic Indian comic character Doga, described the awards as a necessary step toward long-term creator sustainability after decades of limited institutional backing.

The initiative comes as the country’s comic book sector continues to grow, with a projected market value of $1.35 billion USD by 2030. It also aligns with India's AVGC Promotion Task Force target of reaching $100B for the entire sector by 2030. The Trust, as a not-for-profit organization, positions the awards as infrastructure for that ambition.