Trained Talent Eludes Animation Industry

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Bangalore: Even as India is projected to become a global animation outsourcing hub, the Indian animation industry is short of trained talent. The industry, which is expected to receive around $2 billion worth of business in the next two years, is facing an acute manpower shortage, say players.

The animation industry currently employs 5000-6000 animators in India and the demand is expected to grow to 30,000 by 2005.

Speaking to eFE, Ants Animation training school director Chetan S said, “In terms of the projected potential for growth, there is an acute shortage of trained manpower in the industry. That’s because there exists a mental block in India agai-nst taking up an arts as a career, as returns - and huge returns at that - come only after you have done something noticeable.”

He said certain studios in India had to hire billboard painters and artists and send them for short-term training with Ants before inducting them. Bangalore-based Ants is planning to set up 50 training centres across the country by the end of the year.

The current level of manpower is not big and equipped enough to handle all the 21 processes involved in animation, according to JadooWorks chief executive officer Ashish Kapoor. He said, “Almost all the process-es involved in animation can potentially be done out of India, because we have indi-genous content and comparative cost advantages. But the trained talent pool in India is not large enough to meet the potential demand. Animation requires very specialised training even for practising artists, for proc-esses such as voice-overs and scripting require an acting element and acccent. India is not fully geared to take up this kind of work on a massive scale.”