IMAX Corporation and Miraj Entertainment Limited today announced their new partnership, agreeing to install three new IMAX with Laser systems at key locations across India. This deal marks the first-ever collaboration between the two companies and IMAX’s largest expansion in India in five years. Miraj Cinemas will add three new IMAX systems to key locations across India, including one in Mumbai set to open in 2024 one in Jaipur, and a third location to be determined at a later date.
Under the deal, the Mumbai system will be located in the former iconic IMAX Wadala, which was the first IMAX location to open in India in 2003 until its closure in 2023. The deal also brings the first-ever IMAX system to the city of Jaipur, a historically significant and internationally popular tourist destination. The announcement was made today at the annual CinemaCon 2024 exhibition conference in Las Vegas.
“Last year, we delivered record-breaking results in India—driven by a mix of Hollywood and Indian blockbusters—and we’re excited to expand our footprint in the market as the appetite for premium experiences continues to surge,” said Rich Gelfond, CEO of IMAX. “We look forward to building on our remarkable momentum in India with our new partner Miraj Cinemas as they expand The IMAX Experience in key locations and iconic venues across the country.”
“IMAX is the most immersive cinematic experience in the world, and we are thrilled to join forces with them to bring IMAX with Laser to our venues in India,” said Amit Sharma, Managing Director, Miraj Entertainment Limited.“At Miraj, we know our audiences want larger-than-life movie experiences, and we look forward to partnering with IMAX to bring The IMAX Experience to new locations in the country, including non-metro cities.”
This new agreement comes as IMAX continues to see strong momentum in India, which ranks among the top ten highest-grossing markets for the company. 2023 was IMAX’s highest-grossing year ever in the country, beating the previous record set in 2022. Last year was also the highest-grossing year for Indian language films for IMAX, delivering over $15.7 million across the company’s global network. Moviegoers have shown an increasing appetite for IMAX in India—Oppenheimer and Avatar: The Way of Water are the first and second-highest grossing IMAX films in the region, and three recent Indian language films—K.G.F: Chapter 2, Jawan, and Pathaan—are among the top ten highest grossing titles ever in the country.