Indian cosplayers Karan Desai and Karan Prakash win at the World Cosplay Summit 2026 in Japan

Indian cosplayers Karan Desai and Karan Prakash have won ZIPAIRs Next Journey Category at the World Cosplay Summit WCS 2026 held from July 31 to August 2 at Oasis 21 Nagoya in JapanRepresenting India Karan Desai as Yoshimitsu and Karan Prakash as Devil Jin from the popular Tekken video game series won the Next Journey Category adding another milestone to Indiarsquos decadelong WCS journey Indian teams have previously won the Best Armour Category by Nijigen no Mori twice and this yearrsquos win adds another achievement to Indiarsquos growing presence on the global cosplay stageThe World Cosplay Summit brings together cosplayers from across the world including 41 countries and regions to celebrate anime manga games and costume craftsmanship while creating opportunities for cultural exchange and collaborationFor Karan Prakash competing at WCS has been a longstanding dream ldquoCompeting at WCS has been a dream of mine for a long time There really is nothing like getting to represent your country on a global stage alongside so many insanely talented cosplayers from around the world WCS has pushed my limits and helped me grow so much as a cosplayerrdquo he saidCommenting on the Indian cosplay scenario Karan Desai said ldquoThe Indian cosplay scene has grown tremendously because of creators who constantly push boundaries raise the bar and inspire the next generation Irsquom grateful to be part of a community where artists support and motivate each other to learn experiment and dream bigger Every person who shares their knowledge celebrates another creatorrsquos success and continues to believe in Indian cosplay has played a part in this journey Irsquom thankful to this community for helping shape the cosplayer and costume maker I am today and for proving that worldclass cosplay can come from IndiardquoBuilding the WCS costumes involved extensive experimentation sourcing and craftsmanship Karan Desairsquos Yoshimitsu costume combined foam fabric and 3Dprinted elements with the armour helmet and sword designed built and handfinished specifically for performance Karan Prakashrsquos Devil Jin costume was equally intricate requiring more than 15 different fabrics and multiple stitching embroidery embossing and fabrication techniques Sourcing the right materials was itself a challenge with the duo travelling across cities to find the exact fabrics and components needed to bring their characters to lifeThis journey is supported by a growing ecosystem that gives Indian cosplayers opportunities to take their talent to larger platforms Comic Con India has played a pivotal role in nurturing Indiarsquos cosplay community by providing creators with platforms to showcase their craft compete connect and grow Through its Indian Championship of Cosplay ICC and continued support for the community Comic Con India has helped identify and develop Indian cosplay talent creating opportunities for cosplayers to represent the country on global platforms such as the World Cosplay Summit This journey from local stages to the international arena reflects Comic Con Indiarsquos efforts to build a stronger cosplay ecosystem and put Indian talent on the global mapThe win further highlights the growing capabilities of Indian cosplayers and the increasing opportunities for Indian fandom communities to participate on global platforms