The southern city of Hyderabad is set to receive a major boost as the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Secretary, Sanjay Jaju, announced the imminent establishment of a regional centre of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT). This initiative is designed to further strengthen the explosive growth of India’s gaming, animation, visual effects, and digital entertainment (AVGC) industries.
Addressing the WAVES Animation Bazaar and the 8th edition of IndiaJoy 2025 in Hyderabad on Saturday, MIB Secretary Sanjay Jaju confirmed that the IICT, described as the “first of its kind in the country,” will establish campuses across India, with one soon coming up in Hyderabad.
Highlighting the pivotal role of the Telugu film industry and the Telangana State Government’s supportive policies, Jaju emphasized that Hyderabad continues to consolidate its position as the undisputed hub of India’s AVGC ecosystem, driving the nation’s creative economy. He noted that India’s media and entertainment sector is rapidly expanding, serving as a vital expression of the nation’s soft power.
The initiative follows the vision of the WAVES (Web-based Animation, Visual effects, and Entertainment Storytelling) concept, conceptualized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which envisions India as a global leader in creativity and digital innovation. South India, particularly Hyderabad, is recognized for its pivotal role in driving Indian cinema and creative technologies, evidenced by the many pan-India films produced there with support from world-class studios.
The MIB Secretary drew a comparison between the WAVES initiative and the IPL, stating that just as the cricket league revolutionized Indian cricket, WAVES is poised to revolutionize the Indian film industry by integrating technology with creativity and building a global platform for innovation.
Further cementing the commitment to innovation, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the IICT and the State government’s T-Hub to actively promote start-up incubation and innovation within the media and entertainment sector. The expo at IndiaJoy 2025 also showcased start-ups incubated under the WAVEX initiative and the intellectual properties (IPs) created by winners of the Create in India Challenge Season 1.
Later, during a film festival roundtable with Telugu and Malayalam film producers, Jaju reaffirmed the MIB’s tireless efforts to combat film piracy, a growing threat to Indian cinema. The government is working relentlessly to bring down the incidences and percentage of film piracy.
The WAVES Animation Bazaar and IndiaJoy 2025, organized in collaboration with the MIB, is a two-day event showcasing India’s creative economy across films, e-sports, VFX, animation, OTT, comics, and other emerging digital entertainment sectors. The event was attended by Telangana’s Minister for IT Duddilla Sridhar Babu.
Key Highlights:
- IICT Centre for Hyderabad: The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) announced that a regional centre of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) will soon be established in Hyderabad.
- AVGC Hub Strengthening: The new centre aims to strengthen Hyderabad’s position as the hub of India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) ecosystem, promoting growth in the creative economy.
- WAVES and Innovation: The announcement was made at the IndiaJoy 2025 event, highlighting the WAVES initiative which seeks to integrate technology and creativity to revolutionize the film industry. An MoU was also signed between IICT and T-Hub to promote start-up incubation.
- Anti-Piracy Commitment: MIB Secretary Sanjay Jaju reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to working tirelessly to combat the growing threat of film piracy.