The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India marked the culmination of Inspiring Innovators Naye Bharat Ki Nayi Pehchaaan on 13 January 2026, a national skilling initiative developed in collaboration with the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity. The programme represents a significant convergence of India’s innovation ecosystem and creative industries, using storytelling as a tool to amplify socially relevant innovation while building future ready creative skills.
Implemented in partnership with Graphiti Studios, the initiative was designed as a storytelling led skilling programme aligned with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. It showcased the work of eight Indian startups identified by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser for their contribution to social impact innovation. Each startup’s journey was transformed into a short animated film created by students from eight universities across the country, demonstrating how innovation narratives can be translated into compelling creative content.
The participating academic institutions included the National Institute of Design Chitkara University Satyajit Ray Institute of Film and Television and other leading centres of creative and design education. Voiceovers for the films were recorded by participants from the Voicebox programme, a skilling initiative supported by Netflix in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation, adding another layer of professional training and industry exposure to the initiative.
A total of 26 students from diverse regions of India took part in the programme, with women constituting half of the cohort and several participants coming from Tier Two cities. The students received hands on mentorship from experts at the National Institute of Design Ahmedabad and professionals from Graphiti Studios. The training provided real world exposure to animation production workflows creative collaboration and industry processes, equipping participants with skills directly relevant to the evolving creative economy.
The programme also integrated cultural expression into its design, with the original anthem of Inspiring Innovators performed by students of the Shankar Mahadevan Academy. The performance added a distinctive creative dimension to the initiative and reinforced the role of music and culture in storytelling.
Addressing the gathering, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan said the initiative reflects India’s long standing tradition of storytelling while positioning creators to take Indian narratives to global audiences. He said that strengthened intellectual property frameworks and a future ready creative ecosystem are enabling a new generation to create in India and create for the world. He emphasised that content creativity and culture are emerging as key pillars of the Bharat economy, and initiatives such as Inspiring Innovators demonstrate how creativity can be applied in service of society.
Principal Scientific Adviser Ajay Kumar Sood said the initiative was conceived to highlight innovation with social relevance while simultaneously strengthening skills and knowledge pathways. By bringing together startups students industry mentors and creative institutions, the programme connected policy intent with talent development and real world application. He noted that such collaborations are essential for building a resilient and inclusive innovation ecosystem.
Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju said India is witnessing purpose driven innovation led by individuals and enterprises addressing everyday challenges through impactful solutions. He described Inspiring Innovators as an example of how storytelling can evolve beyond content creation into a platform for skilling empowerment and confidence building among young talent. He added that as storytelling enters an era shaped by artificial intelligence and new technologies, it is critical to equip creators with the skills needed to adapt and lead.
Netflix India said the initiative reflects a shared commitment to recognising innovation that delivers real social value while supporting the skilling and upskilling of India’s creative workforce. As Netflix completes a decade in India, the programme underscores the role of global industry partnerships in strengthening local creative ecosystems.
The initiative also drew upon the Manthan platform, a national digital backbone that identifies curates and connects high impact innovations with opportunities for scale. Through Manthan, eight startups were discovered and supported, each addressing a distinct societal challenge. These included innovations in assistive mobility solutions for persons with disabilities AI powered smart glasses for the visually impaired affordable medical devices restoring speech for cancer survivors AI enabled marine safety and aquaculture solutions precision irrigation systems for farmers technology driven waste management microalgae based carbon capture and conversion technologies and bio nano fertilizers developed from agricultural and industrial waste.
The eight animated films produced under the programme are available for public viewing on Netflix India’s YouTube channel, extending the reach of the initiative and allowing wider audiences to engage with stories of Indian innovation and social impact.
The Inspiring Innovators initiative reinforces the importance of cross sector collaboration in nurturing India’s innovation and creative ecosystems and demonstrates how storytelling driven skilling can play a strategic role in building an inclusive knowledge economy aligned with national development priorities.
