Presenting her ninth consecutive Union Budget in Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the Centre will extend support to the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai, to establish Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) Content Creator Labs across the country.
Under the proposal, AVGC Content Creator Labs will be set up in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges nationwide. The initiative is aimed at equipping young Indians with relevant skills for careers in a rapidly expanding sector that is projected to require nearly two million professionals by 2030.
Highlighting the sector’s growth potential, Sitharaman said, “India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics AVGC sector is a growing industry,” stressing the importance of early exposure and structured training to meet future workforce requirements.
The proposed labs will focus on practical, hands-on learning and skill development aligned with industry needs, helping students gain real-world experience in creative technologies.
The announcement positions the AVGC sector as a key component of the government’s broader vision of “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India), which forms the central theme of the Union Budget presented on Sunday, February 1, 2026. The Budget speech also underscored infrastructure expansion, strategic manufacturing and education reforms as core drivers of long-term economic growth.
As part of a broader push to strengthen creative and design education, the Finance Minister further announced the establishment of a new National Institute of Design in Eastern India. The institute will be set up through a challenge-based approach and is intended to meet the growing demand within India’s design industry while expanding access to quality design education.
Beyond the creative sector, the Budget also outlined plans to assist states in developing five university townships located near major industrial and logistics corridors. These integrated academic hubs will bring together universities, colleges, research institutions, skill development centres and residential facilities, with the aim of aligning higher education more closely with industry requirements.
