Mumbai, May 9: The Comic Book Trust of India hosted its first Indian Comic Book Awards today at The Habitat in Khar, Mumbai, the first national awards dedicated to Indian graphic storytelling. The inaugural edition honoured the best work published by Indian creators through 2025. The event aims to build a professional support system for the Indian comic book industry. The initiative, first announced in February 2026 by Jatin Varma, Founder and Chief Trustee (also Founder and Ex-CEO – Comic Con India), focused on recognizing the creators and works that define the medium.
The evening brought together industry experts to discuss the importance of valuing comic books and celebrate the winners across several key categories, honouring the best work published by Indian creators.Here are the winners :
Special Award
- Edison George | Special Recognition for Outstanding Contribution to Comic Culture
Best Debut Creator
- Bronze | Yashmeen Jindal | Pathway Home
- Silver | Priyankar Gupta | The City Of Missing People
- Gold | Anand Babu | Private-Eye Tulsee
Best Web Comic
- Bronze | Vibha Rao | Indian Scribbles
- Silver | Shubham Khurana | Corporat Comics
- Gold | Mohd. Faisal | Garbage Bin
Best Lettering
- Bronze | Mandar Gangele & Gaurav Gangele | The Legend Of Watakattu – The Venom King
- Silver | Charbak Dipta | HJBRL
- Gold | Ravi Raj Ahuja | Technicolour Lovers Vol. 1
Best Colourist
- Bronze | Abhijeet Kini | Defective Detectives
- Silver | Charbak Dipta | HJBRL
- Gold | Prasad Patnaik | W.O.M.E: Weapons Of Mass Extinction
Best Writer
- Bronze | Angshuman Chakraborty | The Sun Is Made Of Silver
- Silver | Arnav Anand | Parashuram Vol. 2
- Gold | Bijoy Raveendran | Technicolour Lovers Vol. 1
Best Artist
- Bronze | Deepjoy Subba | Dracula Vol. 3
- Silver | Mona Singh | Parashuram Vol. 2
- Gold | Utsab Chatterjee | Technicolour Lovers Vol. 1
Best Comic Book
- Bronze | Tinkle Holiday Special No. 55
- Silver | Parashuram (Vol. 2): Blessing Of Sahastra
- Gold | Technicolour Lovers (Vol. 1): Aaranya Kaandam
Reflecting on the mission of the Awards, Jatin Varma, stated:
“I’ve seen firsthand the depth of talent in India, yet many creators continue to work without the support they deserve. With these Awards, we aim to build a lasting platform for Indian comics and lay a strong foundation for the country’s AVGC sector. This isn’t just about a single initiative—it’s about creating a professional ecosystem that values storytellers on par with film and publishing, and positions comics as a vital part of India’s growing creative ‘Orange Economy.’ Importantly, the Awards will also recognize and champion original, AI-free work, ensuring that human creativity remains at the heart of this ecosystem.”
The event saw strong support from industry veterans and modern leaders. Sanjay Gupta, the legendary creator of the iconic character Doga, who was also present at the event shared,
“For decades, Indian creators have been building worlds with very little institutional support. The launch of the Indian Comic Book Awards and the Trust is a vital step toward giving our artists the professional recognition they need to sustain their craft.”
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and MD of NODWIN Gaming and a member of the Trust’s advisory committee, also spoke about the critical role that comic book stories play in providing the original ideas that power the wider gaming and digital entertainment worlds. He noted, “Comic books are the blueprints for the rest of the entertainment world. By helping this industry grow, we are building a steady supply of great Indian stories that can potentially become the next big hit in Indian movies or games.”
Dan Parent, the celebrated American comic book artist and writer best known for his legendary work with Archie Comics, was also recognized for his contribution as a member of the jury, bringing global perspective and standards to the evaluation process.
A core mission of the Indian Comic Book Awards is to celebrate excellence based on the quality of the art and storytelling. In an era where AI-generated content is becoming widespread, the Trust is committed to protecting the integrity of human-led creativity. These awards are dedicated to celebrating original artwork, ensuring that the unique voice and hand-drawn skill of the individual creator remain the gold standard of the industry.
The categories were specifically designed to recognize every part of the creative process. In addition to Best Writer and Best Artist, the program includes specialized awards for Best Letterer and Best Colorist, roles that are vital to making a comic book. The awards also feature categories for Best Webcomic and Best Graphic Novel, reflecting how modern audiences consume stories today.
This event represents the first phase of a broader roadmap to build a professional culture for the industry. Following his pledge of INR 1 Crore earlier this year, Jatin Varma, through the Trust, continues to focus on supporting the growth of India’s ‘Orange Economy.’ aiming at Indian comic books being recognized as a major cultural export.
The Indian Comic Book Awards:The Indian Comic Book Awards, instituted by the Comic Book Trust of India, are a national annual recognition celebrating excellence in Indian comic book and graphic storytelling. The awards honour outstanding work published within the country by Indian creators across writing, art, publishing, and innovation in the medium. The awards aim to document, acknowledge, and elevate the most significant contributions to Indian comics each year, while fostering a culture of critical appreciation and long-term growth for the medium in India.
