AVGC-XR technologies to generate 30,000 jobs in Karnataka: CM Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said his government wants to see Karnataka as a global innovation leader in AVGC-XR technologies and that it will generate 30,000 new high-quality jobs in the state by 2028.

He said the media and entertainment industry in Karnataka accounts for 20 per cent of the Indian media and entertainment industry, employing more than 15,000 professionals. The state also has more than 300 specialized AVGC-XR studios, he added.

"We envision positioning Karnataka as a global innovation leader in AVGC-XR technologies, creating a robust talent pool by transforming the state into a centre of excellence for AVGC-related skills, generate 30,000 new high-quality jobs in the sector by 2028, ensure that exports constitute at least 80 per cent of the sector's total revenue, and foster sustainability and inclusivity within the AVGC industry," the Chief Minister said after inaugurating the Bengaluru GAFX-2024, an annual event supported by the government.

GAFX stands for Gaming, Animation and Visual Effects.

Explaining the potential in this sector, Siddaramaiah said that digital media has firmly established itself as the second-largest segment and it will grow by Rs 68 billion in 2021.

He pointed out that the state government released the draft biotechnology, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) policy in November 2023 which was aimed at fostering development in each individual sector and growing the state's economy.

Recognising the global and national surge in these industries, the policy aims to leverage Karnataka's existing strengths in IT and BPM to establish the state as a global leader in AVGC-XR, the Chief Minister said.

The policy is built around six strategic pillars, each focusing on a different aspect of the AVGC-XR sector.

This includes skill development for a future-ready workforce, creation of sustainable infrastructure, empowering startups and MSMEs, provision for global market access and business development, incentives, concessions and financial support, and focus on 'Mobile First' AVGC products, he added.

Noting that the state has Digital Art Centres in 27 Fine Arts colleges catering to 600 students and one AVGC-XR finishing school, Siddaramaiah said the Centre of Excellence (COE) in Bengaluru is one-of-a-kind. It is the country's first state-of-the-art facility which houses a highly equipped AVGC post-production lab providing the industry with resources for hands-on education and to help generate high-quality content.

"There is no other such facility in the country for the animation and visual effects industry. It is an authorised training facility for Epic Games' Unreal engine and has links with major technology partners," the CM said.