Karnataka Targets 20 Lakh Jobs, Global IP Creation and Ethical AI Leadership in Immersive Media GAFEX2026
Bengaluru, NFAPost: Karnataka has set its sights firmly on global leadership in the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Extended Reality) sector, with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah unveiling an ambitious roadmap at the 7th edition of the Bengaluru FX Conference, themed “Evolution Reloaded,” at the GAFEX2026
Positioning the state as a frontrunner in immersive media, the Chief Minister described Bengaluru as more than India’s technology capital.
“Bengaluru is not merely India’s technology capital. It is a city where imagination meets engineering, where art meets algorithms, where creativity finds capital.”
Flanked by industry leaders including Ashish Kulkarni and senior officials from the Department of ITBT & S&T, the Chief Minister outlined a comprehensive vision centered on job creation, infrastructure expansion, global collaboration, and ethical innovation.
From Policy Pioneer to Global Platform
Karnataka’s AVGC journey began in 2017, when it became the first Indian state to introduce a dedicated AVGC policy. That foundational move has since evolved into a structured ecosystem supported by incentives, incubation centres, skill-development programs, and collaboration through K-Tech and Centres of Excellence.
“Karnataka is not just participating in this revolution — we are leading it,” the Chief Minister declared.
The state now aims to consolidate that leadership as immersive technologies reshape entertainment, education, governance and healthcare.
20 Lakh Jobs in Five Years
The AVGC-XR sector is no longer viewed as a niche creative field. It is emerging as a major economic driver with the potential to generate 20 lakh jobs in the next five years, spanning design, coding, storytelling, music, motion capture, AI modelling and production management.
Karnataka’s talent pool is already contributing to global OTT platforms, Hollywood productions and international gaming studios.
The Chief Minister emphasised that the next phase of growth must transition from service outsourcing to original intellectual property (IP) creation rooted in Karnataka’s culture.
“We must create global characters born from Karnataka’s soil.”
Decentralising the Creative Economy
A central pillar of the state’s strategy is geographic inclusion. The government plans to promote digital creative clusters beyond Bengaluru — in Mysuru, Mangaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad and Kalaburagi.
“We want the next great game engineer or VFX innovator to emerge not only from the capital, but from every district.”
The idea is to empower rural and tier-2 talent with digital infrastructure, enabling global content creation with minimal physical capital.
AVGC-XR Beyond Entertainment
The Chief Minister highlighted transformative applications across governance and public services:
- Tourism: Augmented reality-led immersive tourism
- Education: XR-enabled experiential learning
- Healthcare: Simulation-driven medical training
- Cultural Heritage: Digital preservation of Karnataka’s history
This reflects a broader policy objective — integrating immersive technologies into mainstream public service delivery.
Five Strategic Pillars
To secure long-term dominance, Karnataka’s AVGC-XR strategy rests on five priorities:
- Future-Ready Talent Pipeline: Industry-aligned curriculum and certification programs
- Infrastructure Strengthening: Affordable motion capture studios, gaming labs, post-production facilities
- Original IP Creation: Cultural storytelling with global appeal
- Digital Cluster Expansion: Statewide decentralised growth
- Global Partnerships: Collaboration with international studios, investors and academia
The AI Question: Tool, Not Substitute
Addressing concerns about Artificial Intelligence disrupting creative industries, the Chief Minister struck a balanced note.
“Artificial intelligence must remain a tool and not a substitute for human imagination. The soul of storytelling is human emotion — something no algorithm can replicate.”
He called for ethical AI frameworks covering intellectual property protection, data privacy, fair compensation and continuous skill upgradation.
Responsible Gaming and Social Impact
The Chief Minister also urged developers to adopt responsible design principles, avoiding glorification of violence and safeguarding children’s mental well-being.
The emphasis was clear: innovation must be paired with social responsibility.
A Call to Action
In his concluding remarks, the Chief Minister issued a direct appeal:
- To industry leaders: Invest in original content
- To educational institutions: Modernise curriculum
- To young creators: Dream fearlessly
- To global partners: Collaborate with Karnataka
With Evolution Reloaded officially inaugurated, Karnataka’s message to the global immersive media ecosystem is unequivocal — the state intends not just to participate in the AVGC-XR revolution, but to shape it.
If executed effectively, the roadmap could transform Karnataka into one of the world’s most influential hubs for immersive storytelling, digital creativity and AI-powered media innovation.
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