India's First creative tech institute launched in Mumbai

In a significant boost to India's creative and digital economy, the first campus of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) was inaugurated at the NFDC Complex in Mumbai. The event also featured the launch of the IICT logo, the unveiling of seventeen industry-aligned academic courses, and the release of Outcome Reports from WAVES 2025 — the World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit, held earlier this year.

The Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) is envisioned as a premier institute offering advanced, industry-integrated education in AVGC-XR fields — an acronym for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality. These are fast-growing sectors within the global creative economy, often referred to as the "Orange Economy", which encompasses industries powered by Content, Creativity, and Culture.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw described IICT as a fulfillment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of establishing an institution for creative technologies on par with IITs and IIMs. He emphasized that the institute aims to equip professionals, creators, and trainers in the media and entertainment industry with world-class tools, training, and techniques. To realize this goal, IICT has already partnered with global tech leaders including Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Adobe, and WPP, ensuring strong industry-academia collaboration.

The first batch of 300 students is set to begin from August 2025, with training not only for students but also for professionals and educators already working in the AVGC-XR ecosystem. The upcoming main campus, to be built at Film City, Mumbai on land provided by the Maharashtra Government, will feature aesthetic and eco-conscious architecture, with a budget allocation of ₹400 crore.

To complement the educational initiatives, the event also saw the ceremonial inauguration of the WAVES Bharat Pavilion at Gulshan Mahal, located within the NFDC-National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC). Previously showcased at the WAVES 2025 Summit held from May 1–4 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, the Bharat Pavilion serves as a tribute to India’s storytelling legacy and its evolution from ‘Kala to Code’—a metaphorical transition from traditional arts to digital content innovation. Conceptualized by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the Pavilion offers immersive thematic zones that reflect India's creative aspirations and underline its position as a rising global content powerhouse.

The Maharashtra Government has allocated ₹150 crore to support the growth of the WAVES ecosystem and the broader creative industry. CM Fadnavis expressed his hope that the upcoming IICT campus will not only offer world-class education but will also become a cultural and architectural landmark in Mumbai.

Further strengthening institutional collaboration, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Prasar Bharati and the Maharashtra Film, Stage & Cultural Development Corporation Ltd. (MFSCDCL). This agreement focuses on the development of an Integrated Film and Television Media Hub, aimed at promoting innovation, international competitiveness, and skill development within the media sector.

With the launch of IICT and the continuation of the WAVES initiative, India is taking a definitive step toward becoming a global leader in the creative technology domain, making world-class content, tools, and talent not only accessible but also made in India.

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