SRINAGAR: The Government of India has stepped up its push to expand the country’s “orange economy,” with plans to establish Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges, backed by an outlay of Rs 250 crore, the Lok Sabha was informed.
Replying to Unstarred Question Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan said the initiative is part of a broader strategy to position India as a global hub for content creation, with a focus on emerging sectors such as animation, gaming and immersive media.
The government said the AVGC sector is expected to generate significant employment, with projections indicating a requirement of around two million skilled professionals by 2030 across content production, design, programming and related domains.
As part of institutional capacity building, the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) has been designated as the National Centre of Excellence for the AVGC-XR sector and is currently operating from the NFDC campus in Mumbai. The institute has already introduced 18 courses, with 136 students enrolled and 15 trained under specialised programmes, while further expansion is being planned.
The House was also informed that the WaveX Startup Accelerator Programme, launched under the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025), is supporting media-tech startups through mentorship, investor connections and assistance in securing intellectual property rights. The first cohort of 51 startups has been provided access to global platforms and industry networks to scale innovations in areas such as AI-driven animation and gaming.
In addition, the Create in India Challenge is being used as a national platform to identify and promote grassroots creators, including those from Tier-II and Tier-III cities. The first edition saw participation from over one lakh creators, with selected participants being supported to showcase their work on national and international platforms.
The government said stakeholder consultations are currently underway to finalise the rollout of content creator labs and strengthen the technology and institutional framework for the AVGC sector.
The initiatives are expected to open new avenues for youth in regions like Jammu and Kashmir, where growing digital adoption and creative talent are seen as key drivers for participation in the expanding media and entertainment economy.
