India Ranks Among Top Three Global Anime Viewership Markets

India has secured third place in global anime viewership penetration, trailing behind only Japan and China, according to GEM Partners' Anime Global White Paper 2026, released on April 16. The Tokyo-based analytics firm surveyed 15K respondents across 15 countries to measure viewer penetration rates rather than absolute audience numbers.

The report documented 41% anime viewership penetration in India with a growth rate exceeding 30% between 2020 and 2025, positioning the South Asian market as one of the industry's fastest-expanding territories. Japan maintains the leading position with over 55% population engagement, while China holds second place with approximately 42% penetration rate.

Notably, India and South Korea have become the top two markets with the highest average anime audience growth rate, with South Korea having  32% growth rate, even though the viewership is higher in India. The anime viewership growth coincides with India’s anime market expansion.

India's anime market was valued at $1.098B in 2024 and is projected to reach $2.93B by 2033, according to IMARC Group. In the country, modern anime hits, Jujutsu Kaisen, Dragon Ball, and Dragon Ball DAIMA sustained popularity.

Netflix and Regional Language Dubbing Driving India's Anime Viewership

The GEM Partners survey identified Netflix as the dominant anime distribution platform in India and most markets outside Japan and China. In China, bilibili came at the top, with Prime Video and YouTube also ranking among the top services. Crunchyroll, Sony's anime-focused streaming division, appeared in the top 10 across most surveyed markets excluding Japan, China and South Korea.

In India specifically, the distribution of Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu language dubbing has expanded accessibility beyond English-speaking urban demographics. Netflix India initiated systematic Hindi anime dubbing in 2020, beginning with Studio Ghibli titles such as My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away.

Anime’s expansion in India was further accelerated by Crunchyroll introducing regional language dubs for most titles in its anime library in 2023. Crunchyroll's Asia Pacific and India marketing director, Akshat Sahu, later stated that for popular titles like Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, Hindi dub audiences have surpassed the English version in the country.

The viewership data represents a structural shift from anime's historical positioning as niche content in established markets like Japan and the U.S. India's anime viewership trajectory mirrors broader Asia-Pacific growth patterns, with the region holding 49.3% of the global anime market share in 2025, according to MMR Statistics analysis.