Karnataka, which is credited with being the first state to formulate an Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) policy in 2012, can now not only boast about having the largest AVGC Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Asia, right here in Bengaluru but can also help to learn to be more digitally driven, accompanied by animation and visual effects.
Minister for Electronics, IT, BT and Higher Education, Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, on Thursday launched the centre, which is being termed as a pioneering hi-tech digital media hub, funded by the department under the 'Innovate Karnataka' initiative. The objective of the CoE is to syndicate and make available the best facilities and technologies to start-ups, AVGC studios and professionals who find it difficult to fund or access such hi-tech stack individually.
"This co-working space can help studios focus more on the creation and developing content. The State Government has provided the industry with a great lever by supporting this unique project with a grant. Such a facility does not exist in any country as a shared resource," Biren Ghose, Past President, ABAI (formerly Association of Bangalore Animation Industry) & Country Head, Technicolor India, said.
The centre also has a finishing school, which offers unique courses based on emerging technologies like virtual reality, digital compression, photogrammetry, gamification of education, real-time virtual production and other emerging technologies.
Launching the CoE, Ashwath Narayan said, "This CoE brings digital excellence to creative industries. India now commands around 10 per cent of the global AVGC market and has the potential to reach 20-25 per cent by 2027. Karnataka has been driving the AVGC sector in India. This centre will take us to greater prominence in the sector."
Karnataka accounts for 20 per cent of the share of the Indian entertainment & AVGC industry. Over 300 animation, VFX & gaming studios operate in Karnataka employing over 15,000-plus professionals. With the launch of this CoE, the AVGC ecosystem will be further benefitted, said Dr E V Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT/BT, and S&T.
New policy soon; more CoEs planned
Ashwath Narayana said the state will come out with a new AVGC policy within one year and required land will be provided to set up a dedicated 'Digital Media Entertainment Area'. "More small CoEs will be set up across the state, particularly on university campuses, and collaborations will be made with more number of fine arts institutions," he noted.
At present, only 35 per cent of students are getting quality education and, to fill this shortfall, the National Education Policy (NEP-2020) aspires to make 'storytelling' the basis of education. "Blended learning will also be supportive of this. By relying on AVGC, learning can be made more curious to achieve the target of providing quality education to all the students," he said.
