Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Sanjay Jaju reviewed the expansion roadmap and future strategy of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies at the NFDC Complex in Mumbai, emphasising the institute’s role as a key driver of India’s growing creative economy and digital content ecosystem.
The review meeting, attended by board members and industry representatives, focused on scaling academic programmes, strengthening infrastructure and enhancing industry academia collaboration to align with emerging demands in animation, gaming, visual effects and digital content creation.
Sanjay Jaju said the institute has already operationalised its infrastructure, with around 150 students enrolled in various programmes. He set a near term target of expanding student strength to 400 by July, alongside scaling startup incubation to 20 physical startups, with additional ventures supported in virtual mode. At present, 11 startups are being incubated at the institute.
He also outlined plans for the development of a larger campus at Film City in Goregaon, where academic activities are expected to begin in 2028, marking a significant step towards expanding capacity and positioning the institute as a national hub for creative technologies.
The discussions also covered emerging sectors such as visual gaming, visual effects and content creation labs, which have been identified as priority areas in the Union Budget. Sanjay Jaju highlighted the need to build a robust ecosystem that integrates technology, creativity and entrepreneurship to strengthen India’s position in the global media and entertainment landscape.
Referring to the Orange Economy initiative announced at the WAVES Summit, he noted that the government has set a target of connecting two million people with content creation and creative industries. The meeting deliberated on concrete steps required to achieve this goal through capacity building, skill development and institutional support.
A major proposal reviewed during the visit was the establishment of content creator laboratories across 15000 secondary schools and 500 colleges nationwide. The initiative aims to promote digital creativity, enhance media literacy and equip students with practical content production skills, enabling them to participate in the rapidly expanding creator economy.
Sanjay Jaju toured the institute’s advanced facilities, including production and post production infrastructure, training modules and innovation hubs. He interacted with faculty, board members and stakeholders to assess the institute’s preparedness to meet industry requirements and to explore avenues for further collaboration.
The institute currently offers 18 specialised courses across key domains including animation, gaming, post production and extended reality. These include six programmes in gaming, four in post production and eight in animation, comics and XR technologies. Flagship offerings include 24 month undergraduate diploma programmes in Animation Film Design, Interactive Video Game Design and Development, and the Art and Science of Post Production and Visual Effects.
In addition, short term diploma and certificate programmes ranging from three to six months are offered in specialised areas such as 3D character design, visual effects, cinematic virtual reality filmmaking, esports management and artificial intelligence applications in filmmaking.
Sanjay Jaju underscored that institutions like the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies must evolve into vibrant centres for innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly in the media and entertainment sector. He called for a stronger focus on startup incubation, industry partnerships and global collaboration to create a sustainable pipeline of skilled talent.
The visit also highlighted the Ministry’s broader commitment to strengthening institutional frameworks that support digital creativity and innovation. The emphasis remains on building an integrated ecosystem that nurtures talent, promotes entrepreneurship and supports technological advancement in the media and entertainment industry.
On the sidelines of the visit, Sanjay Jaju also visited the National Museum of Indian Cinema, where he interacted with a delegation of school students, reinforcing the importance of engaging young minds in India’s creative and cultural landscape.
