Evolution of Super Heroes: Sharad Devarajan at TEDxGateway 2013

Sharad is a creator (and a avid TED attendee), media entrepreneur, professor and self-professed comic book geek who wants you to break some rules and spark a creative renaissance in India.


His new company, Graphic India, is the culmination of his lifelong dream to launch characters, heroes and stories that tap into the unique creativity and culture of India but appeal to audiences worldwide. In the same way the West has created superheroes or Japan launched anime, Graphic India is transforming the perception of India in animation from being an 'outsourcer" to being 'the source.'


Sharad believes that great stories foster our imaginations and fuel our inspirations and the next Steven Spielberg, Hayao Miyazaki, JK Rowling or Stan Lee is sitting somewhere in India ready to change the world with the next great story.


Graphic's recent projects include 18 DAYS, a digital web series reimagining the Mahabharata with acclaimed Batman writer, Grant Morrison and Indian artist Jeevan J. Kang; and CHAKRA THE INVINCIBLE, an Indian superhero Sharad co-created with legend, Stan Lee (co-creator of Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, The Avengers)


In addition to Graphic India, Sharad is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, and was previously the Co-Founder and CEO of Virgin Comics a company he co-founded, with Sir Richard Branson, authors Deepak Chopra, Gotham Chopra and filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.


Sharad was also the co-creator of the acclaimed, 'Spider-Man: India' comic series from Marvel. Where Spider-Man was reinvented as an Indian boy growing up in Mumbai, as "Peter Parker" became "Pavitr Prabhakar."