Union Budget 2026 Reactions AVGC: More power to the Orange Economy

India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector is a growing industry, projected to require two million professionals by 2030. In the Union Budget 2026, FM Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to support the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai in setting up AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Focus on IICT and job creation in AVGC
• AVGC content creator labs in schools and colleges

The Tech Panda asked esports and AVGC industry players what they thought of the Union Budget 2026.

Akshat Rathee, Co-founder & MD, NODWIN Gaming

“The Union Budget 2026–27’s support for the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector through the expansion of AVGC creator labs is a strong step toward building India’s creative and digital talent pipeline. The government’s backing of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), whose inauguration we were proud to be present for, reflects a clear commitment to equipping young Indians with future-ready skills across animation, gaming and storytelling. As organizers of large-scale cultural platforms such as the NH7 Weekender and Comic Con India, we are constantly seeking skilled talent to shape immersive experiences, and initiatives like these will help widen that pool while accelerating original IP creation and high-quality game development. Greater access to creative technologies will enable more homegrown, culturally relevant content to thrive.”

Animesh Agarwal, Founder & CEO, S8UL Esports and 8Bit Creatives

“Having built teams and businesses in gaming and esports over the years, I’ve seen first-hand how rapidly the AVGC sector is growing and how urgently India needs structured skilling to keep pace. The projection of two million professionals required by 2030 highlights both the scale of the opportunity and the responsibility on industry and institutions to prepare future-ready talent. Initiatives like these will not only create meaningful career pathways for young Indians but also help position India as a global hub for animation, gaming, and digital storytelling.”

Vishal Parekh, Chief Operating Officer, CyberPowerPC India

“The Budget’s support for AVGC creator labs across 15,000 schools and 500 colleges marks a powerful step toward building a future-ready workforce. With the sector projected to require 2 million professionals by 2030, this initiative can accelerate job creation and empower young Indians to pursue high-value careers in gaming, animation, and visual technologies. Realizing this vision calls for access to high-performance computing environments that match global benchmarks. At CyberPowerPC India, we see this as a defining opportunity to equip the next generation with the tools they need to create, compete, and lead, fueling innovation while strengthening India’s emergence as a global creative and technology powerhouse. We commend the government’s forward-looking commitment to strengthening India’s AVGC ecosystem.”

Sagar Nair, Head of Incubation, LVL Zero Incubator

“The Finance Minister’s announcement reflects a strong commitment to India’s creative economy. With the AVGC sector expected to require nearly two million professionals by 2030, the rollout of content creator labs across 15,000 schools and 500 colleges can expand early access to future-ready skills and inspire students to pursue careers in animation, VFX, gaming, and comics. When skilling is paired with incubation and clear pathways to entrepreneurship, India can cultivate a generation of creators equipped to build original intellectual property and compete globally. This approach can accelerate job creation, strengthen the talent pipeline, and position the country as a leading hub for creative technology and digital content.”

Parth Chadha, Co-Founder & CEO, STAN

“Seeing Creator Labs come into schools and colleges is a powerful signal that the country is preparing the next generation for careers in the creative and digital world. What started as a grassroots movement is now part of India’s broader vision for the ‘orange economy.’ At STAN, we’ve believed early in the potential of creators and communities, so this feels like a real moment of validation and a reminder to keep building with even greater responsibility.”

Manish Agarwal, Board Member, GDAI (Game Developer Association of India)

“The announcement of AVGC content creator labs in schools and colleges is a landmark step toward building India’s next generation of game designers and developers. We strongly welcome this move, which will significantly accelerate the growth of gaming, AVGC-XR, and interactive media careers across the country.”

Nitish Mittersain, Jt. MD & CEO, Nazara Technologies

“The Budget’s focus on AVGC is a very positive step for India’s creative and gaming ecosystem. Initiatives like setting up AVGC labs across schools and colleges and investing in large-scale skilling will help build strong grassroots talent and long-term industry capacity. This is not just about employment — it’s about creating original Indian IP, strengthening our creative economy, and positioning Bharat as a global hub for gaming and interactive entertainment. With consistent execution, this can become a real catalyst for the next phase of industry growth.”

Anuj Tandon, Partner, India & UAE, BITKRAFT Ventures

“The Union Budget 2026’s alignment of AVGC with XR sends a strong signal to global investors that India is serious about building the future of interactive media. By supporting this ecosystem through policy clarity, skilling and infrastructure, the government is going for the long term view in creating grassroot skills for the sector that will make India a stand out market”

Anurag Choudhary, Founder & CEO, Felicity Games

“The government’s push on AVGC and creative tech education is a strong step forward. Gaming and interactive media are talent-led industries, and building this pipeline early can help India move from being a large consumer market to becoming a global producer of content and IP, driving jobs and long-term economic growth. Over time, this can translate into meaningful jobs, startups, and export-driven growth for the economy.”

Kashyap Reddy, Co-Founder & CEO, Metasports

“Gaming sits at the intersection of technology, creativity, and analytics. While India has a proven pipeline of world class Tech and Analytics talent, the final piece of Creative talent is now getting nurtured. The Union Budget 2026-27’s support for AVGC sector is a strong step toward aligning India’s education system with the realities of a rapidly changing economy. By expanding access to future-ready disciplines, this move can significantly strengthen our talent pipeline and help India stay globally competitive.”

Jeet Chandan, Co-Founder, Shortgun Games

“This Budget is a direct policy push for India’s AVGC revolution AVGC Creator Labs across 15,000 schools and 500 colleges is a game-changing talent pipeline. For Shortgun Games, this means faster scaling of XR-led game design and global IP creation. India isn’t just playing games now India is building the world’s gaming content factory.”

Sridhar Muppidi, Co-Founder Ello.ai and [X] Cube Labs

“We welcome the government’s move to set up a high-powered education-to-employment committee, especially its focus on the impact of AI on the services sector. Over the next 2–3 years, the services industry will see a fundamental shift, with individual productivity increasing 20–25x as AI becomes deeply embedded in daily work. The way people interact with software and services will change completely—moving from screens and forms to natural voice-led interactions. Combined with India’s strong investments in linguistic AI, this creates a unique opportunity to make technology accessible, inclusive, and scalable across the country. Aligning education and skills with these real-world deployments will be critical to ensuring this transformation drives growth rather than disruption”.

Shiva Nandy, Founder & CEO, Skyesports

“The Finance Minister’s focus on IICT and job creation in AVGC is a positive step towards building structured career pathways in gaming. Our MoU with IICT is aimed at supporting this broader vision by connecting students with real-world esports and gaming opportunities.

“Additionally, through initiatives like the Chennai Esports Global Championship and esports in the Tamil Nadu CM’s Trophy, we’ve also seen how competitive gaming already creates impact, from student engagement and production jobs to tourism and grassroots talent development. However, esports is missing from the policy conversation. India doesn’t lack players or audiences. What we need now is a formal pathway and a clear framework for esports so the ecosystem can scale responsibly and become a meaningful part of India’s digital and creative economy.”

Chetan Asher, Founder & CEO, Tonic Worldwide

“Orange Economy gets its moment in this budget. Probably for the first time, creative industries gets a seat at the budget table. AVGC labs across 15,500 schools and colleges, a new National Institute of Design, explicit recognition of creative services as a growth engine. For an industry that’s often invisible in policy conversations, this is a welcome shift.

“More importantly, it signals a broader pivot. India’s services advantage is evolving from IT and back-office operations to design, content, and creative technology. From being a back end, we can own the front end. The government is betting that our next competitive edge will be imagination, not just efficiency.

“For brands and agencies, this opens a genuine runway. The talent pipeline is expanding. The infrastructure is being prioritized. The question now is how we channel this into building Indian brands that resonate globally. Not just more services exports, but Indian creativity that the world values and pays a premium for. It’s building Indian IP and Indian brands the world actually wants. This needs equal impetus.”