To strengthen the growth of the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sector and its ecosystem, the government is considering raising the quantum of incentives offered under the Incentive Scheme for Audio-Visual Co-production and Shooting of Foreign Films in India, said Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Information and Broadcasting. He was speaking at the inaugural Summit of FX – 4th Global AVGC & Immersive Media, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in the capital here on Tuesday.

The AVGC sector now accounts for about 20 percent of the Indian Media and Entertainment landscape and is developing at a far quicker rate than the other components.

Chandra further said, “However, it is vital for the sector to focus on developing unique intellectual property and promoting Indian talent on a global scale, and the government is dedicated to supporting these causes”.

He also mentioned that the National AVGC Policy, which was created with participation from all of the industry’s key stakeholders, has already been presented for cabinet approval, and that the consultation process is underway to give it a final shape soon.

He stated that it was decided to go with a structure of 52 percent private and 48 percent government stake in the National Centre of Excellence for AVGC, which should operate as a catalyst to develop the sector and attract investments.

He also emphasised the importance of the AVGC sector having its own International Festival, similar to the Annecy Festival, to establish international relationships, promote animation and VFX capabilities, and open up new doors for Indian animators, studios, and content creators.

India is one of the few countries providing cash incentives to foreign companies for making AVGC content in India. This support extends to both pre- and post-production activities in India. These incentives include a 30 percent post-production spend incentive for content created using animation and visual effects with a cap of Rs 20 million. Productions employing 15percent or more of their labour force from India can access a further 5 percent of spend, capped at Rs 5 million.
Airing views on the growth scope of the sector Atul Kumar Tiwari, Secretary Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said that the AVGC task force has made seminal contribution to the AVGC sector, which will soon come to fruition.
“Government has made great inroads in terms of creating skilled talent in the AVGC sector with around 55 universities in India now offering courses in animation and 38 in VFX. The secretary said that India is focusing on developing future skills, and AVGC is an integral part of this strategy. Also, as part of the National Education Policy 2020, the government is making efforts to integrate AVGC into school curriculum in order to identify and train talent from an early stage”.
Drawing attention of the industry towards creating globally local content, Tiwari said that India has so much to offer to the world through its stories and we are moving in the right direction.

Stressing on the similar lines, Biren Ghose, Chairman, CII National AVGC Committee, Vice Chairman, CII National Media & Entertainment Committee and Country Head, Technicolor India, said that though individuals and companies in the AVGC sector have won every single coveted award in the world to make us proud, the sector is undergoing a turbulent time with unprecedented levels of job losses owing to strike in Hollywood, which has impacted the workflow. However, he encouraged the sector to face these challenges with the right strategy.