Netflix India partners with IICT, Ficci to support AVGC-XR segment in India

Netflix India partners with IICT and FICCI to support AVGC-XR students through scholarships, curriculum development, and industry collaboration, boosting India's creative technology ecosystem

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Netflix India has partnered with the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) to support students in India for AVGC-XR (animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality).

 

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at the FICCI FRAMES 2025 event.

 

“Under this MoU, Netflix will leverage the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity to offer scholarships to select students identified in collaboration with IICT. The Netflix Fund for Creative Equity is a dedicated effort to create opportunities for underrepresented talent in the media and entertainment sector. To strengthen this partnership, Netflix will also participate in three of IICT’s national councils — the R&D (research and development) Council, the Academic Council, and the Industry Development Council — bringing together leading voices from academia, industry, and policy to help shape India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem,” the combined release stated.

 

With this, Netflix India joins other companies such as Nvidia, Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Adobe that have signed MoUs to collaborate with IICT during the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in May.

 

“Building on our efforts to promote skill development and inclusive access in the media and entertainment sector, this collaboration with IICT and FICCI aligns with the government’s vision to strengthen India’s AVGC sector,” said Mahima Kaul, director, global affairs, Netflix India, in a statement.

 

Netflix will support IICT in curriculum development and facilitate industry professionals to share real-world experiences and practices with IICT students. This includes workshops, masterclasses, and guest lectures. Vishwas Deoskar, chief executive officer (CEO), IICT, stated that this collaboration with Netflix and FICCI marks a significant step in bridging the gap between academia and the creative industry.

 

“FICCI is proud to facilitate this collaboration, which will not only strengthen India’s position as a global hub for creative technologies but also nurture future-ready talent, drive innovation, and create pathways for sustainable growth in the sector,” said Munjal Shroff, chairman, FICCI AVGC-XR Forum.

 

Meanwhile, 52 per cent of IICT is owned by FICCI and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and the remaining 48 per cent is held by the Government of Maharashtra and the Government of India, said Sanjay Jaju, secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, in his keynote address at FICCI FRAMES 2025.

 

The first campus of IICT was opened at the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) Complex in Mumbai this year. A new campus is expected to be set up in Film City, Goregaon.

 

“We have also issued the tenders for the new campus to begin, and hopefully the tender work will start from December. I hope 2028 is when we intend to start the first class in the new campus,” said Jaju.