Centre To Set Up National Centre Of Excellence For Animation, Modelled On IITs & IIMs

The Union Cabinet has approved the National Centre of Excellence for AVGC-XR in Mumbai, aiming to boost India's role as a global content hub and attract foreign investment.

Cabinet approves setting up of National Centre of Excellence for Animation. (Representative Image)

Source : Freepik

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the establishment of the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR), modeled on the IITs and IIMs, to anchor the animation ecosystem in India, as reported by PTI. This initiative aims to position India as a global content hub, enhancing the country’s soft power and attracting foreign investment into the media and entertainment sector. The centre will be located in Mumbai and established as a Section 8 Company under the Companies Act, 2013.

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will partner with the government in setting up this institute for immersive creators.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw emphasised the crucial role of the AVGC-XR sector in media and entertainment, including filmmaking, OTT platforms, gaming, and advertisements, as well as in health, education, and other social sectors. He noted that with rapid technological advancements and increasing internet penetration, the use of AVGC-XR technologies is set to grow exponentially. The NCoE will be established to lead and support this growth.

The NCoE will offer specialized training programs for both amateurs and professionals, foster research and development, and bring together experts from fields like computer science, engineering, design, and art. It will also focus on creating India's intellectual property for domestic and global markets and provide resources for nurturing startups and early-stage companies in the AVGC-XR field.

Vaishnaw highlighted that the NCoE will not only act as an academic and production accelerator but also create significant employment opportunities for youth across the country, boosting the creative arts and design sector and supporting the goals of the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiative.