Toonz Media Group CEO P. Jayakumar Steps Down After 26 Years

Huge news from India today: Toonz Media Group CEO P. Jayakumar has announced he is stepping down after a quarter-century of leading one of the country’s most globally active animation studios.

First reported by Variety, Jayakumar’s departure, effective at the end of the month, marks the end of an era for the Technopark-based company, which grew from a regional upstart into a key international player during his tenure.

Jayakumar joined Toonz shortly after its founding in 1999 and became instrumental in shaping both the company’s creative identity and its worldwide footprint. Under his leadership, Toonz expanded into Ireland, Spain, and New Zealand, forged partnerships with major broadcasters and streamers, and built up a catalog spanning thousands of hours of kids’ and family programming.

The outgoing CEO told Variety that the experience of guiding the studio for more than two decades has been transformative, saying, “Leading Toonz has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. What began as a dream shared by a small, passionate team has today grown into a global powerhouse of creativity and storytelling.”

Jayakumar also expressed his ongoing connection to the studio and hinted at what comes next, adding, “While I step down from my current role, I will always remain emotionally connected to Toonz. In the coming months, I intend to embark on a new venture that continues my lifelong passion for creativity and collaboration in the global entertainment space.”

According to the Variety report, Toonz has already initiated a transition plan. Jayakumar has been working closely with acting CEO Viswanath Rao and the newly appointed finance director and board member, Karthik V. Kumar, to ensure continuity across the company’s global operations.

According to the company’s AFM catalog, current Toonz projects include A Banquet for Hungry Ghosts, Pierre the Pigeon-Hawk, an animated feature based on the once-viral Green Gummy Bear character, and the stop-motion holiday feature, Santa on a Panda.