Delhi govt working on AVGC policy to boost creative sector, generate jobs

New Delhi, Oct 11 (PTI) The Delhi government is working on formulating a policy to promote the animation, visual effects, gaming and comics sector, officials said on Saturday.

The move aims to boost the city's creative economy and generate employment opportunities for youth.

Officials said that they want to finalise a draft of the policy by December and put it in public domain for feedback.

Earlier this month, the Delhi government's tourism department partnered with Netflix for holding a screening of animated series 'Kurukshetra'.

At the event, Delhi Tourism minister Kapil Mishra said the government is working to position the city as a Global Content Hub in the AVCG (Animation, Visual Effects, Comics and Gaming) sector, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of ''Vikas bhi, Virasat bhi'' (development along with heritage).

The government, according to the officials, is studying policies adopted by states such as Maharashtra to prepare a comprehensive roadmap suited to Delhi’s ecosystem.

In September, the Maharashtra cabinet cleared the new Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) Policy 2025 with a roadmap till 2050, projecting the industry to create two lakh jobs and attract Rs 50,000 crore investment over the next 20 years.

Under the policy, dedicated AVGC-XR parks will be developed with world-class infrastructure and special hubs will come up in various parts of the city, including Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Satara and Nagpur.

Last year, the Union Cabinet had approved a proposal to set up the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) on lines of the IITs and IIMs to anchor the animation ecosystem in the country.

The centre, which will come up in Mumbai, will also have regional centres in other cities.

"We plan to establish one of the regional centres under the NCoE here in Delhi. The government will approach the Centre at an opportune time," the official said.

Officials in the Delhi government said the proposed policy will focus on skill development, infrastructure support, and collaboration between industry and academia.

“AVGC is among the fastest-growing segments globally. Delhi has a strong base of media, design and technology talent, and the new policy will help channel these strengths into new-age digital jobs. The government will act as a facilitator by helping animators, gamers in procuring loans at easy rates, providing subsidies and even space and infrastructure for development of their ideas," an official said.

In order to gauge the market sentiment, the government is likely to hold Delhi's first AVGC Summit in November. They plan to invite animation companies, besides animators and gamers in the city to know their feedback and the kind of assistance they want from the government, the officials said.

"The government is considering various ideas. We have plans to establish a centre where people will have adequate infrastructure for their ideas. We plan to collaborate with institutes that offer courses related to the field. After completion of the courses, the government can help them in getting internships," an official said.

In July, Mishra held a review meeting with officials where it was decided that the government will soon launch a comprehensive AVGC policy aimed at promoting growth in animation, gaming and visual content sectors. PTI SLB NB NB