"The company hopes to create characters that simultaneously appeal to audiences from Boston to Beijing to Bangalore," Sharad Devarajan, CEO, Virgin said.
After what the company called "unbelievable success" of its debut comic titled 'Devi' in the US, Virgin has launched in India its first original comic book series including 'Sadhu', 'Devi' and 'Snake Woman', he said.
Virgin Comics and Virgin Animation is a collaboration of writer Deepak Chopra, celebrated filmmaker Shekhar Kapur and British billionaire Sir Richard Branson.
"The Virgin Comics reinvention of the quintessential Indian icon 'Devi' is heading for global cult status and now the stage has been set for an equally strong birthing in India," the company said.
Speaking on the evolving entertainment market in India, Shekhar Kapur, who is the chief visionary for Virgin Comics and has created two of Virgin Comics' launch series, 'Devi'
and 'Snake Woman', said in the next 10 years, India would have 550 million children under 20 years, offering the largest "youth resource" that could be tapped.
Devarajan said the company plans to evolve its content into various forms of youth-related entertainment products, including films.
He said in the second phase, its comic books would be made available in Indian languages, including Hindi, Malayalam and Punjabi.
Based in Bangalore, the company currently houses 75 artists and writers in a creative studio focusing on creating original stories and character properties that tap into the vast library of mythology and re-invent the rich narratives of Asia.
