AVGC task force calls for a national mission with budgetary outlay

Quantum of budget unknown; task force also recommends 'Create in India' campaign with exclusive focus on content 'For India and For the World'

The Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) Task Force has, in its report released on Monday, called for the creation of a National AVGC-XR Mission with a budget outlay for the integrated promotion and growth of the sector. The quantum of the budget, however, remains unknown.

The task force also recommended a ‘Create in India’ campaign with exclusive focus on content ‘For India and For the World’.

Set up under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with representatives from both the academic and industry quarters, the task force was announced in the union budget earlier this year to identify interventions to build domestic capacity for serving the domestic market and global demand in the sector.

Four sub-task forces were constituted under it for devising strategies of growth through targeted interventions in education, industry & policy, skilling and gaming. It noted that some 185,000 professionals are currently employed in the AVGC sector, with another 30,000 employed indirectly. The sector needs to employ another two million individuals by 2030 to sustain growth.

Among the efforts to make India a global hub in this space, the task force aims to leverage the National Education Policy (NEP) to develop creative thinking with dedicated AVGC courses in schools. It also seeks to build foundational skills and create awareness about AVGC as a career choice.

“It is proposed that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with other key Ministries, may take up the task of setting up the country's first National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for AVGC. The NCoE will offer degree courses in AVGC and serve as a reference point for the industry across different areas”, the report noted.

The report noted that the sector has potential to raise India's soft power via inclusive growth. It recommends creating a dedicated production fund for domestic content creation from across India to promote Indian culture and heritage globally, along with promoting local children’s channels for raising awareness on rich culture and history of India among children and youth.

A draft National and model State Policy for AVGC sector was also released for comprehensive and consistent implementation of the recommendations.