‘Dabangg’ studio Cosmos-Maya acquired by private equity firm NewQuest

Dabangg

Hong Kong private equity firm NewQuest Capital Partners has acquired majority ownership of Singapore and Mumbai-based animation studio Cosmos-Maya.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 1996 by Indian filmmakers Deepa Sahi and Ketan Mehta, Cosmos-Maya is well-known as a producer of 2D and 3D children’s animated series, including popular IP such as Motu Patlu, Selfie With Bajrangi, Titoo and Dabangg.

The company is also “aggressively expanding” its operations in the western markets, producing several TV series, shows and independent feature films for platforms in Europe and the US.

Ketan Mehta

Since 2018, the studio had been owned by KKR-backed investment platform Emerald Media.

NewQuest, meanwhile, is a secondary private equity focused on the Asia-Pacific region that was established in 2011. It specialises in providing alternative liquidity solutions to private equity asset owners.

“Cosmos-Maya has had a phenomenal journey of 25 years in animation and has grown by leaps and bounds during this period,” commented Mehta.

“The partnership with Emerald Media heralded a strong growth era for us, I am very happy that we are now getting a partner in NewQuest. The partnership marks yet another important chapter in the global journey of our studio, which is poised for accelerated growth.”