In a landmark initiative aimed at unlocking and accelerating India’s creative potential, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the launch of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) during the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025. Positioned at the crossroads of creativity, technology, and innovation, IICT aspires to become a world-class hub for nurturing the next generation of talent in India’s booming content and digital economy.

This initiative signals a strong convergence between the government and global tech giants, as seven leading companies—JioStar, Google, Adobe, Meta, Apple, NVIDIA, and Microsoft—signed letters of intent to partner with IICT. These partnerships are aimed at co-developing skill-building frameworks, creating cutting-edge platforms, and designing future-ready digital tools that align with the demands of a fast-evolving global media and entertainment landscape.

The institute is envisioned as a platform that will empower India’s youth with an enabling ecosystem of learning, experimentation, and entrepreneurship. From immersive storytelling and visual effects to AI-powered content creation and real-time rendering, the IICT will provide training and mentorship across all dimensions of the creative tech spectrum.

Sanjog Gupta, CEO – Sports & Live Experiences at JioStar, emphasized the strategic importance of this vision, stating:

“IICT’s launch at WAVES 2025 marks a progressive step towards making India a global creative powerhouse since quality talent is the most fundamental building block of the creative economy. At JioStar also, we believe in the power of connectivity combining with the forces of creativity to unlock infinite possibilities. We are proud to support this mission to build a global centre of excellence in Mumbai to drive media innovation. The convergence of talent, technology, and policy will not only redefine the future of consumer immersion, connections and experiences but also cultivate the next generation of high-quality talent ready to lead on the world stage.”

The IICT initiative aligns perfectly with India’s ambition to lead the global content revolution, providing youth with access to high-quality education, mentorship from global leaders, and hands-on exposure to real-world challenges and innovations in the content tech space.

With Mumbai as its home base, the institute is also expected to become a catalyst for regional content growth, economic development, and international creative collaborations.

Author: Sania Khan