Indian Institute of Technology Management, Pune

Canvas to Premiere 'Project Maya,' India’s First Original Short-Form Anime, in Early October

Canvas is preparing to launch 'Project Maya' in the first week of October, positioning the title as India’s first original short-form anime created entirely by Indian talent. The debut marks a notable step for the country’s animation sector, which has long contributed to global production pipelines but rarely been associated with homegrown anime-style originals. The series arrives as Indian streaming platforms increasingly seek distinctive local intellectual property that can travel across age groups and formats. If the release lands as planned, it could help test whether Indian audiences are ready to embrace anime-inspired storytelling made domestically rather than imported from Japan or adapted from existing franchises.