Budget 2026 places AVGC in highlight; IICT and GDAI hail skilling centered imaginative and prescient

The Union Budget 2026–27 has delivered a big enhance to India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman underscoring its rising strategic significance to employment technology, inventive exports and the nation’s increasing “Orange Economy.”

Presenting the Budget within the Lok Sabha on Sunday, Sitharaman positioned the AVGC trade as a key driver of future-ready jobs and cultural capital, noting its speedy growth amid the worldwide digital content material growth. Industry stakeholders, together with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) and the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI), have welcomed the federal government’s focused give attention to skilling and ecosystem improvement.

Highlighting the dimensions of alternative, the Finance Minister said that India’s AVGC sector is projected to require almost two million professionals by 2030, prompting the federal government to roll out structured interventions to construct a sturdy expertise pipeline. Central to this imaginative and prescient is enhanced help for the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, which has been tasked with spearheading a nationwide AVGC skilling initiative.

Under the proposed plan, IICT will lead the institution of AVGC Content Creator Labs throughout 15,000 secondary colleges and 500 faculties, geared toward nurturing grassroots expertise and equipping college students with inventive and technical abilities throughout animation, visible results, gaming, and storytelling disciplines.

“These labs will play a pivotal role in meeting the workforce needs of our burgeoning creative industries while enabling India to export IP and creative services across the world,” Sitharaman mentioned, emphasising the federal government’s give attention to combining creativity with technology-led ability improvement.

AVGC Integrated into India’s ‘Orange Economy’

The Budget marks a notable shift in coverage framing, formally recognising AVGC as a part of India’s Orange Economy — a cluster of inventive and cultural industries spanning digital content material, design, media, vogue and performing arts. By integrating AVGC into this broader financial narrative, the federal government has signalled its intent to remodel inventive expertise into sustainable employment and export-driven progress.

Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, CEO, IICT mentioned, “Aligned with the highest global benchmarks of the times ahead, and poised to illuminate India’s distinctive contribution to future-ready creative and technological standards, the Finance Minister’s announcement to establish AVGC content creator labs across 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges marks a landmark step in shaping India’s creative economy. By introducing students early to animation, visual effects, gaming and comics, this initiative will democratise access to cutting-edge creative technologies, nurture grassroots talent, and significantly strengthen India’s global leadership in AVGC and digital storytelling.”

Deoskar mentioned, “At IICT, we are deeply committed to building a robust, inclusive, and industry-ready creative ecosystem. We view this initiative as a powerful investment in skills, jobs, and India’s cultural and creative capital, and remain dedicated to translating this vision into sustainable, high-impact outcomes that reflect India’s commitment to global excellence.”

Welcoming the announcement, Rajan Navani, Chairman of JetSynthesys and Co-Chairman of the CII National Committee on Media & Entertainment, mentioned the Budget displays rising recognition of youth-driven inventive capabilities.

“India’s pioneering operating platform in the Orange Economy is thrilled to hear the government recognise the economic value of youth empowered creation capabilities and support their growth as India moves towards Viksit Bharat,” Navani mentioned.

As a member of the Board of Directors at IICT, Navani additional welcomed the dimensions of the proposed initiative. “The additional government support to create 15,000 content labs in secondary schools and 500 colleges will not only expand the size of the talent pool but also help raise world-class quality standards for Bharat’s creative industries,” he added.

GDAI Sees Long-Term Boost for Gaming and Interactive Media

The Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) additionally hailed the Budget’s emphasis on early-stage skilling as a landmark step for the gaming and interactive media ecosystem.

“The announcement of AVGC content creator labs in schools and colleges is a landmark step toward building India’s next generation of game designers and developers,” mentioned Manish Agarwal, Board Member, GDAI. “Over the past few years, GDAI has been closely engaging with government stakeholders to help shape a long-term talent pipeline that starts at the school level and extends through higher education and industry readiness.”

Agarwal added that the transfer is anticipated to considerably speed up profession alternatives throughout gaming, AVGC-XR and interactive media, sectors the place India is more and more rising as a worldwide expertise hub.

Industry Seeks Clarity on Implementation

Akshat Rathee, Managing Director and Co-founder of NODWIN Gaming mentioned, “The Union Budget 2026–27’s support for the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector through the expansion of AVGC creator labs is a strong step toward building India’s creative and digital talent pipeline. The government’s backing of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), whose inauguration we were proud to be present for, reflects a clear commitment to equipping young Indians with future-ready skills across animation, gaming and storytelling.”

Rathee additional mentioned, “As organizers of large-scale cultural platforms such as the NH7 Weekender and Comic Con India, we are constantly seeking skilled talent to shape immersive experiences, and initiatives like these will help widen that pool while accelerating original IP creation and high-quality game development. Greater access to creative technologies will enable more homegrown, culturally relevant content to thrive.”

While the trade broadly welcomed the Budget’s course, consultants famous that execution particulars can be crucial. Jay Sayta, Technology and Gaming Lawyer, mentioned the give attention to AVGC is encouraging however burdened the necessity for readability on funding and timelines.

“Focus on boosting the AVGC sector in Budget 2026 is a welcome step; however, the fine print is awaited to see the exact monetary allocation and implementation timelines for the proposed 15,000 AVGC labs in secondary schools,” Sayta mentioned.

Overall, the Budget’s AVGC push aligns with broader nationwide priorities round digital skilling, companies exports and high-value job creation for India’s younger workforce. For establishments like IICT and trade our bodies similar to GDAI, the bulletins mark a big step towards constructing a structured, globally aggressive inventive economic system anchored in schooling, innovation and cultural IP creation.

First Published on February 1, 2026, 12:28:15 IST