The Kerala government’s draft Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) policy aims at driving the inception and expansion of 250 such companies and creation of 50,000 new jobs in the sector by 2029. Through this, the State also expects to account for 10% of India’s export revenues in the AVGC-XR industry. The Kerala Startup Mission also aims at incubating around 150 start-ups in the sector by that year.
The State government is planning to set up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in AVGC-XR that will be the cornerstone of the ecosystem in the State. The centre will serve as the anchor of talent development, innovation, and Research and Development. The park is proposed to be set up in around 20 acres of land in Thiruvananthapuram. The Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT) will be the nodal agency responsible for setting up the CoE and implementing the AGVC-XR policy.
Scholarships for students
The CoE will provide infrastructure such as digital post-production AVGC-XR labs, post-production technologies such as motion capture, 2D and 3D animation, and high-speed rendering, along with other facilities. It will also administer specialised programmes, including PhD to spur research and development and innovation. Collaborative research and development will be carried out in partnership with industry experts, with a focus on emerging trends. The government plans to offer merit-based scholarships to students and professionals, enabling them to enroll in specialised research programmes under the CoE.
The development of physical infrastructure will be carried out in two phases, aligning with the immediate requirements for specialised facilities in the sector and long-term industry trends. The establishment of AVGC-XR parks and AVGC-XR export zones is envisioned exclusively through private initiatives or Public-Private Partnerships (PPP). Existing IT parks will also set aside a certain percentage of their land for AVGC-XR initiatives. Industry Parks under the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (KINFRA), will also adopt a similar approach.
Labs in all districts
AVGC-XR labs, modelled on the ongoing Work Near Home project, will be set up in all districts to facilitate digital content production and dissemination. The policy also proposes several incentives for AVGC-XR companies registered in Kerala, including reimbursement of part of the costs for purchase of new technological tools or software and costs for filing for patent.
Tech varsity courses
As part of interventions at lower levels, the school curriculum will be designed in consultation with the Media and Entertainment Skills Council (MESC), and creative aptitude used as a qualifier to select students to pursue specific courses in AVGC-XR. Another proposal is for the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University (KTU) to offer subjects under AVGC-XR as minors and majors.
