The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved the establishment of the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR).

This NCoE will be set up as a Section 8 company under the Companies Act, 2013 in India, with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry and Confederation of Indian Industry representing the industry bodies as partners with the Centre.

“The Cabinet approval to establish a National Centre for Excellence for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comic and Extended Reality is great news for the world. And entertainment. The ecosystem of creators will get a big boost and many more job opportunities will be created,” PM, Narendra Modi wrote in a post on social media platform X.

The NCoE will be set up in Mumbai and is in pursuance of the budget announcement for 2022-23 regarding the establishment of an AVGC (animation, visual effects, gaming and comics) Task Force in the country.

With rapidly evolving technology and increasing internet penetration across the country, coupled with lowest data rates, the usage of AVGC-XR globally is poised to grow at an exponential pace, a statement by the Centre said.

While interacting with the media, Union I&B Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw referred to it as the Indian Institute for Immersive Creators (IIIC); although an official name is yet to be announced.

“This is being established to act as the pinnacle institution to anchor the AVGC-XR ecosystem in the country. Along with offering specialised training-cum-learning programmes to equip both amateurs and professionals with the latest skill sets in cutting-edge AVGC-XR technologies,” Vaishnaw said adding that the institute will also foster research and development.

The institution will focus on creating Indian IP, leverage India’s cultural heritage in the new age and create a multiplier effect. This would be an industry-led initiative in partnership with the State (governments) and academia.

“A hub and spoke model of development to be followed, with the ‘IIIC’ being the hub and several centres as its spoke,” the Minister said.

A dedicated innovation and research fund to promote the start-up eco-system will also be looked into.