India has opened admissions for the inaugural batch of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, a new national institute dedicated to Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR). Applications opened on 15 July, with classes scheduled to start in August 2025. The institute will launch 18 industry-designed programmes—six in gaming, four in post-production and eight in animation, comics and XR—developed in consultation with leading technology and media companies. Google, YouTube, Adobe, Meta, Microsoft, NVIDIA and JioStar have committed to help shape curricula, provide scholarships, incubate start-ups and support placements. IICT has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Kingdom’s University of York covering joint research, faculty exchanges and global certification pathways. Information & Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the goal is to create a talent pipeline that positions India as a global hub for immersive and digital content technologies.