Goal is to create a billion dollar IP in AVGC: Indian Institute of Creative Technology's first CEO

IICT launches courses and signs MoUs with top global technology companies at WAVES 2025.

The Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT), currently in the making, has set things in motion with the launch of seven courses and signing of memoranda of understanding (MoU) with top global technology companies such as Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Adobe and NVIDIA.

"If, in the next few years, we are able to create a billion dollar IP (intellectual property) in AVGC (animation, visual effects, gaming and comic) from India, we will achieve our goal. That's the vision," said Dr Vishwas Deoskar, Chief Executive Officer, IICT.

He, along with IICT's Chief Operating Officer, Ninad Raikar, announced the rollout of courses for the AVGC and XR (extended reality) segment in 1,500 schools during the inaugural edition of the World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025. The set of seven courses announced will begin June onwards.

The courses offered will cater to all segments of AVGC separately and will subsequently increase to more than 35 from the current seven,  the CEO said.

"The IICT has just begun. We launched it on May 3 by a collaboration with industry members. IICT was cleared by the cabinet, by the Prime Minister in November. Subsequently, we have been able to get IICT up and rolling. It is a university which is in the making right now. It is a distinct deemed university. We have a long list of things that we want to do in the coming time," said Deoskar.

He added that they have a long list of courses that will be floated around, including AVGC to schools.

"It will be basically at the level of a K-12. We have a connection with a lot of industry players who are connected with schools for AVGC. We will have almost 1,400-1,500 schools where we will reach out. IICT is going to be a top-of-the-line institution. It is a university which will be at par with IIMs and IITs. We will try to make it a little bigger, so that we can enter into the global scenario."

The institute will also train teachers.

"The aim is to get to the 'train the trainer' programme first. We are trying to work it out on every single aspect, including animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality. The trainers of each segment will be trained at a top level with the best of equipment. We have imported a lot of equipment, thanks to the government of India, government of Maharashtra, and the board of IICT which have cleared us to make sure that we are able to do this."

In addition, they are launching an IICT programme, which will be launched separately for the top- of-the- line people in the industry who are experts and are already working. "We will get them to polish off their expertise in a manner that they are able to use that expertise and move and do well," Deoskar added.

Raikar highlighted the role of the global technology companies in terms of educating Indian creative talent.

"IICT is about upskilling the AVGC-XR manpower. Along with that, it will also be a policy think- tank for the government. It will also enable startup incubation for AVGC-XR companies. So, whether it is curriculum development, or software licence or startup incubation mentorship, in all these areas, all the companies which we announced collaboration with will contribute in some manner."

One of the missions of IICT is to create an India for the world, he added. "If IICT has to be on the global map, the associations will also have to be at the global level."

Role of AI

Deoskar also highlighted the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in skilling creative talent.

"We have a big mandate on how to inculcate and develop AI techniques for AVGC XR. Special effects are all getting carried from there. We are aligned to Hollywood and Hollywood is also aligned to us. Bollywood is always there and the amount of talent India has is phenomenal. So, they really need to know what they need to do with AI," he said.

The CEO added that AI is going to be a game changer.

"It has become the most handy kind of technology right now in the global market. Anything you want, you go and ask AI what to do. However, in the AVGC-XR sector, AI is going to play a major role because most of the movies that you see today, be it films, clips, animated movies or even if you have extended reality, AI plays a major role."

Deoskar added that AI is just a machine. "AI has the brains to do a certain amount of work but it doesn't have the heart. The important part is the heart which matters in a human being. It keeps pumping, everything will be moving. So, there is no heart in AI, it is a tool. So, use it as a machine and don't use it to do everything."