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SXILL proudly celebrates a landmark achievement as Nikhil Tomar, a student of the SXILL Animation Upskilling Program, has been declared “Best Animator in India” at the ASIFA Awards of Excellence 2025. The award was announced on 2nd Nov 2025 during the prestigious IndiaJoy 2025 celebrations.

Nikhil Tomar won the Award of Excellence in the category Best 3D Animation by Student, a national-level recognition adjudicated by the Grand Jury of ASIFA India. This achievement reflects not only Nikhil’s dedication and talent but also SXILL’s long-standing commitment to world-class character animation training.

Speaking on the occasion, Vineet Raj Kapoor, Founder of SXILL and Chandigarh Design School, shared:

“We are extremely proud of Nikhil Tomar and all our students at SXILL and Chandigarh Design School. Our crusade for character animation training began in 2010, and over the years it has produced industry stalwarts. Today, because of talents like Nikhil Tomar and Arjun Kumar, the animation industry knows exactly where to hire top-quality talent.”

This marks the second consecutive year that a SXILL student has been awarded Best in India by ASIFA. In 2024, SXILL student Arjun Kumar received the Award of Excellence at WAVES, reinforcing SXILL’s consistent track record at the national level.

Sharing further insight, Neelu Kapoor, Founder of SXILL and Chandigarh Design School, said:

“Nikhil has been an exceptional student who worked extremely hard. He supported himself through part-time work, and we ensured he received support at every stage. Today, his success is visible to the entire industry. Our fresher programs help students identify their strengths early, saving time and ensuring the right specialization.”

She also acknowledged the continued support of industry peers such as Lakshya Digital, Technicolor, Micros, and other studios that actively collaborate with SXILL to groom future-ready talent.

Expressing his gratitude, Nikhil Tomar shared:

“At SXILL, I received personal mentoring at every stage. This award belongs to all my classmates who supported one another. I am especially thankful to my mentor Mangat Chauhan, former Creative Director (Animation) of Motu Patlu. His guidance ensured we all reached the same professional level. SXILL also helped many of us find jobs at top studios when others were struggling.”

SXILL alumni today work at some of the world’s leading studios including Framestore, DreamWorks, 88 Pictures, Xentrix, Technicolor, PhilmCGI, Assemblage, Cosmos Maya, Greengold, Micros, Lakshya Digital, Digitoonz, and more.

This recognition forms part of the Create in India Challenge at WAVES 2025, celebrating excellence in Animation, VFX, and Digital Media, and stands as a proud milestone for SXILL’s vision of nurturing industry-ready, globally competitive animators.