Mumbai: The ministry of information and broadcasting (MIB) has constituted the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC) promotion task force to promote the AVGC sector in the country. The government’s intention to form the task force was first made in the union budget 2022-23.
The AVGC promotion task force shall be headed by the MIB secretary and will comprise the secretaries of the ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship, the department of higher education, the ministry of education, the ministry of electronics and information technology, and the department of promotion of industry and internal trade.
The task force will also have the participation of industry partners such as Technicolor India country head Biren Ghosh, Punaryug Artvision Pvt Ltd, Anibrain founder and CEO Jesh Krishna Murthy, Redchillies VFX COO and VFX producer Keitan Yadav, Whistling Woods International chief technology officer Chaitanya Chinchlikar, Zynga India senior vice president and country head Kishore Kichili, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment managing director and CEO Neeraj Roy.
The AVGC promotion task force also includes state governments of Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Telangana, heads of education bodies such as the All India Council of Technical Education, National Council of Educational Research and Training, and representatives of industry bodies such as MESC, FICCI, and CII.
The aim of the AVGC promotion task force is to “guide the policies of growth for this sector, establish standards for AVGC education in India, actively collaborate with industry and international AVGC institutes, and enhance the global positioning of the Indian AVGC industry,” said the statement.
The terms of reference of the task force include framing a national AVGC policy, recommending a national curriculum framework for graduation, post-graduation and doctoral courses in AVGC related sectors, facilitating skilling initiatives in collaboration with academic institutions, vocational training centers and industry boost employment opportunities, facilitate promotion and market development activities to extend the global reach of Indian AVGC industry and enhance exports and recommend incentives to attract FDI in AVGC sector.
The task force will submit its first action plan within 90 days.
“The AVGC sector in India has the potential to capture five per cent or ~$40 billion of the global market share by the year 2025, with an annual growth of around 25-30 per cent and creating over 1,60,000 new jobs annually,” according to MIB.
