Framestore will open its doors in Mumbai in 2020 as a full digital production facility, drawing on India’s growing creative talent pool.

The studio will be located in the Nesco IT Park in Goregaon, putting it at the heart of Mumbai’s technology district.

The news is reflective of Framestore’s continued ambitions in India, after having made a major investment in Jesh Krishna Murthy’s VFX Studio, Anibrain, in 2017.

“Mumbai represents a rolling of wheels that were set in motion over two years ago,” says Framestore’s founder and CEO, Sir William Sargent. “Our investment in Anibrain has grown considerably and we continue in our partnership with Jesh Krishna Murthy to develop and grow that business. Indeed, they will become a valued production partner to our Mumbai offering.”

Framestore looks to make considerable hires in the coming months, aiming to build an initial 500-strong team with a vanguard of existing Framestore talent combined with the best of local Indian expertise. Mumbai will work alongside the global network including London and Montreal, to create a cohesive virtual team delivering high quality international work.

“Mumbai has become a centre of excellence in digital filmmaking. There’s a depth of talent that can deliver to the scale of Hollywood with the colour and flair of Bollywood.” Sir William continues, “It’s an incredibly vibrant city and its presence on the international scene is holding us all to a higher standard. In terms of visual effects, we will set the standard here as we did in Montreal almost eight years ago.”

On a global scale, Framestore has grown significantly over the past four years and has seen the market for high-end production mirror that growth.

“The fact of the matter is there’s a need for more capacity. We need a certain headcount to take advantage of global industry growth and Mumbai is a logical next step,” adds Sir William.