Maharashtra
India’s First IICT Inaugurated in Mumbai
- 21 Jul 2025
- 4 min read
Why in News?
India's first Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), modeled on IITs and IIMs, was inaugurated in Mumbai by Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), with another campus under construction at Film City, Goregaon.
- It was launched in parallel with the outcome report of WAVES 2025, attended by over 1 lakh visitors from 100+ countries.
Key Points
About IICT
- About: The institute is a national centre of excellence for the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) sector.
- Institutional Infrastructure and Launch: Inaugurated at the National Films Development Corporation (NFDC) premises on Pedder Road, Mumbai.
- Designed as a state-of-the-art campus with media labs, animation training zones, and post-production suites.
- First academic session starts September 2025 with 300 students.
- Industry Collaboration & Curriculum: Partnerships with Google, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Apple, Adobe, YouTube, WPP, JioStar for:
- Curriculum design
- Internships and placements
- Startup incubation
- Scholarship programs
- MoU signed with University of York (UK) for global certification and faculty exchange.
- Vision and Funding: Part of Prime Minister’s vision for a global creative economy under Digital India.
- ₹400 crore allocated by the Centre for campus construction.
- Additional ₹150 crore fund by Maharashtra Government to promote WAVES & creative economy.
- Significance for India: The global AVGC-XR market is projected to grow at 10–15% CAGR; IICT aims to tap into this opportunity.
- It is projected to become a tourist attraction and cultural landmark in Mumbai.
- Supports India's Atmanirbhar Bharat and Skill India missions by creating a skilled workforce for future digital jobs.
- Positions India as a hub for immersive tech and content creation, reducing dependency on foreign-trained talent.
- Elevates Mumbai’s status as a creative capital, with future IICT campuses planned across India.
About WAVES 2025 Summit
- It was a global summit for the media and entertainment (M&E) industry, organized by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
- It aims to promote dialogue, innovation, and collaboration across the media and entertainment (M&E) sector, boosting India's role as a global hub for digital content and innovation.
- Bharat Pavilion, a museum on the visual history and legacy of India's entertainment industry, was also inaugurated at Gulshan Mahal on the same premises as IICT.
- The Bharat Pavilion will feature four immersive storytelling zones — Shruti, Kriti, Drishti, and Creator’s Leap — under the theme “Kala to Code”.
- These zones celebrate India's transition from traditional arts to digital creativity and global cultural engagement.
