India’s Animation, Gaming and XR Ecosystem Strengthened through WAVES; Platform Positions the Country as a Global Hub of Creativity

The National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for AVGC-XR has been operationalised as the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT). It is the premier institution for creative technologies, located in Mumbai.

IICT is being developed with a total allocation of ₹391.15 crore and is modelled on the lines of IITs and IIMs for the creative technologies (including AVGC-XR). It has started operating from the NFDC campus in Mumbai.

It follows an industry-oriented curriculum aligned with global best practices and functions on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model as the national hub under a hub-and-spoke framework

IICT is addressing the skill gaps in Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and 3D modelling through specialised training programmes, industry aligned curricula and applied Research and Development.

The institute has launched 17 specialised academic programmes across gaming, post-production, animation, comics and XR. More details can be accessed from https://iict.org/academics/programs.

It has partnerships with leading global companies such as Google, Meta, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and WPP for curriculum co-development, access to advanced tools, mentorship and industry collaboration.

IICT also supports startup incubation and IP creation, helping creative technology startups of India connect with global studios, investors and markets, thereby advancing the objectives of Create in India and Brand India

Government has taken various steps for growth in creative technologies, including AVGC exports such as:

• The AVGC Promotion Task Force was set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in April 2022 after the Union Budget announcement. It brought together industry and government to outline how India could scale skills, jobs and investment in animation, VFX, gaming and comics; and position the country as a global hub for M&E industry.

Task Force submitted its report in December 2022, recommending a National AVGC Mission, Centres of Excellence, stronger infrastructure and dedicated support for Indian IP and exports.

• IICT Mumbai has been established and is being developed as a specialised Centre of Excellence to strengthen high-end training and research.
• With a focus on expanding high-quality production capacity, developing talent and improving access to international markets, WAVES 2025 was held in May 2025 as a global platform for the entire Media & Entertainment sector.

Further, the WAVES supports the AVGC sector and startups through the following three verticals:

1. WAVES Bazaar: A year-round hybrid global marketplace for India's media and entertainment sector. It facilitates structured B2B meetings, co-production opportunities and showcases Indian films, animation, gaming, VFX and XR content to international buyers.

1. WAVEX: It is a dedicated startup accelerator and incubator for AVGC-XR and emerging media technologies. It provides mentorship, access to advanced production and immersive-tech infrastructure, and curated investor linkages.

At WAVES Summit 2025, it enabled pitching by 30 startups to investors such as Microsoft and Unicorn India Ventures, and provided exhibition space to over 100 startups.

Through partnerships with T-Hub and IICT, WAVEX supports incubation, government pilots, innovation challenges like Bhashasetu, and global exposure through platforms such as IFFI, helping startups secure foreign investment and validate Indian IPs internationally.

1. Creatosphere: A Create in India talent-discovery initiative that conducts 30-35 national competitions annually across animation, gaming, webtoons and digital storytelling. It nurtures new creators by linking them with mentorship, incubation and industry opportunities.

This Information was submitted by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan in the Rajya Sabha today in response of questions asked by Dr. Parmar Jashvantsinh Salamsinh and Shri Kesridevsinh Jhala.

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Mahesh Kumar/ Vivek Vishwash