**Executive Summary**
The Government of India has established strategic partnerships with global technology companies to strengthen the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) and the AVGC-XR ecosystem. These initiatives, reported to the Lok Sabha on March 18, 2026, focus on the "Create in India, Create for the World" vision through platforms like WAVES Bazaar and the Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT) program. The document also details the expanding international participation and improved accessibility features of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **WAVES Bazaar Initiative**
* Serves as a flagship global B2B marketplace to promote India’s Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector.
* Facilitates structured business discovery, investment, and international collaboration for creators, startups, and institutions.
* Covers diverse segments including films, animation, VFX, gaming, AVGC-XR, music, and digital content.
* **Strengthening the AVGC-XR Ecosystem**
* Strategic partnerships formed with global tech firms to support the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) / IICT.
* Collaborations focus on curriculum development, skill development programs, internships, and R&D support.
* Provides industry mentorship, scholarships, and startup incubation to bolster the domestic creative technology sector.
* **Growth and Inclusion at IFFI**
* International film submissions increased from 106 countries in 2023 to 127 in 2025.
* Delegate fees are maintained at a low threshold of Rs. 1,000 to ensure wider inclusivity.
* Enhanced accessibility for Divyangjan at all four venues in Goa, including 19 films with Closed Captions and 24 with Audio Descriptions in the 56th IFFI.
* **Nurturing Talent via CMOT**
* The "Creative Minds of Tomorrow" initiative identifies and nurtures young filmmaking talent across 13 film crafts.
* The 2025 edition featured 125 emerging creators.
* The program contributes to the creative economy, with alumni receiving national recognition and screening works at global festivals.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Creators, Studios, and Startups**
**Impact**
Stakeholders benefit from improved market access, investment facilitation, and structured business discovery through WAVES Bazaar. Young talent receives direct support via CMOT and global mentorship.
**Action Required**
Engage with the WAVES Bazaar platform for international collaboration and participate in talent identification initiatives like CMOT.
**Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) / NCoE**
**Impact**
The institution is empowered by global partnerships to enhance its educational offerings and research capabilities.
**Action Required**
Implement new curricula, manage scholarship programs, and facilitate internships and R&D support in collaboration with global technology partners.
**International and Domestic Film Delegates**
**Impact**
Delegates benefit from lower participation costs and more inclusive screening environments, specifically for Divyangjan.
**Action Required**
Utilize the expanded screening venues and accessibility features provided during the International Film Festival of India.
Key Entities Referenced
Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT): The National Centre of Excellence for AVGC-XR established to support the ecosystem through curriculum development, skill programs, and industry mentorship.
WAVES Bazaar: A flagship global B2B marketplace and engagement platform conceived to promote India’s Media & Entertainment sector and international collaboration.
International Film Festival of India (IFFI): A major cinematic event focused on inclusivity, international film participation, and accessibility for filmmakers and audiences.
Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT): An initiative launched during IFFI to identify, recognize, and nurture young creative talent across various film crafts.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting: The primary government department responsible for the oversight and development of India's media and entertainment sector.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Government Establishes Strategic Partnerships
to Strengthen IICT and the AVGC-XR Ecosystem
Posted On: 18 MAR 2026 5:22PM by PIB Delhi
WAVES Bazaar is the flagship global B2B marketplace and engagement platform of the Government,
conceived to promote India’s Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector across films, animation, VFX,
gaming, AVGC-XR, immersive media, music, and digital content. Envisioned as a “Create in India, Create
for the World” initiative, WAVES Bazaar enables structured business discovery, market access, investment
facilitation, and international collaboration for Indian creators, studios, startups, and institutions.
The Government has established strategic partnerships with several global technology companies to
support the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and
Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) - the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT). The collaborations
aim to support the IICT through curriculum development, skill development programmes, internships,
research and development support, startup incubation, scholarships and industry mentorship, thereby
strengthening the AVGC-XR ecosystem in the country.
IFFI aims to be inclusive in terms of participation of countries, genres of films, styles of production,
thematic concerns and audience appeal. Over the last 3 years, the number of countries from which films
have been submitted to the festival has increased from 106 in 2023 to 127 in 2025. In the final line-up of
films, international participation has increased from 79 countries in 2023 to 84 countries in 2025. Genres,
styles and themes also have registered an impressive rise in IFFI's film bouquet. For wider inclusivity, the
delegate fee is kept at low threshold of Rs. 1000/- for the entire length of the festival been held at 4 venues
across Goa i.e. Panjim, Porvorim, Madgaon and Ponda. All screening venues of the festival have been
made accessible for Divyangjan. In 56th IFFI, Indian Panorama section-19 films had Closed Captions and
24 films had Audio Descriptions.
The Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT) is an initiative launched in 2021 during the International Film
Festival of India to identify, recognize, and nurture young creative talent in the field of filmmaking. The
fifth edition of CMOT in 2025 brought together around 125 emerging creators across 13 film crafts. Since
its inception in 2021, CMOT has grown steadily, with alumni screening at major global festivals, earning
national recognition, and contributing significantly to India’s creative economy.
This Information was submitted by the Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Dr. L.
Murugan in the Lok Sabha today in response of questions asked by Shri Manish Jaiswal, Dr.
Hemang Joshi, Shri Manoj Tiwari, Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan.
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Mahesh Kumar
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