New Delhi: Presenting her ninth consecutive Budget in Parliament, Sitharaman said the Centre plans to support the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai, in setting up Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges nationwide.

The move is aimed at preparing young Indians for careers in a sector projected to need two million professionals by 2030.

"India's Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics AVGC sector is a growing industry," the Finance Minister said, underlining the need for early exposure and structured training to meet future workforce demands.
The proposed labs are expected to focus on hands-on learning and skill development aligned with industry requirements.

The announcement places the AVGC sector firmly within the government's broader vision of "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India), the central theme of the Budget presented on Sunday, February 1, 2026.

The Budget speech highlighted infrastructure expansion, strategic manufacturing, and education reforms as key pillars of long-term growth.
In a related push to strengthen creative and design education, Sitharaman also announced that a new National Institute of Design will be established in Eastern India through a challenge-based route.

The initiative aims to address the rising demand in the Indian design industry and expand access to high-quality design education.
Beyond creative industries, the Budget outlined plans to support states in developing five university townships near major industrial and logistics corridors.

These integrated academic zones will house multiple universities, colleges, research institutions, skill centres and residential facilities, linking higher education more closely to industry needs.