Indian cosplayers Karan Desai, Karan Prakash win at the World Cosplay Summit

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Indian cosplayers Karan Desai and Karan Prakash have won ZIPAIR’s Next Journey Category at the World Cosplay Summit (WCS) 2026, held from July 31 to August 2 at Oasis 21, Nagoya in Japan.

Representing 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 India’s decade-long WCS journey. Indian teams have previously won the Best Armour Category (by Nijigen no Mori) twice, and this year’s win adds another achievement to India’s growing presence on the global cosplay stage.

The 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 collaboration.

For Karan Prakash, competing at WCS has been a long-standing dream. “Competing 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 cosplayer,” he said.

Commenting on the Indian cosplay scenario, Karan Desai said, “The Indian cosplay scene has grown tremendously because of creators who constantly push boundaries, raise the bar and inspire the next generation. I’m 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 creator’s success and continues to believe in Indian cosplay has played a part in this journey. I’m thankful to this community for helping shape the cosplayer and costume maker I am today, and for proving that world-class cosplay can come from India.” 

Building the WCS costumes involved extensive experimentation, sourcing and craftsmanship. Karan Desai’s Yoshimitsu costume combined foam, fabric and 3D-printed elements, with the armour, helmet and sword designed, built and hand-finished specifically for performance. Karan Prakash’s 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 life. 

This 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 India’s 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 India’s efforts to build a stronger cosplay ecosystem and put Indian talent on the global map. 

The win further highlights the growing capabilities of Indian cosplayers and the increasing opportunities for Indian fandom communities to participate on global platforms.

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