NEW DELHI, Feb. 2 -- The central government will support the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai in establishing Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her budget speech 2026 on Sunday. The government will provide a support of Rs.250 crore in setting up of these labs. Sitharaman said India's AVGC is a growing industry projected to require two million professionals by 2030. "I propose to support the IICT Mumbai in setting up AVCG content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools all over the country and 500 colleges," she said. IICT is India's first institution for creative technology on the lines of the Indian Institutes of Technology and the Indian Institutes of Management. In July 2025, the Maharashtra government started a satellite campus of IICT at National Film and Development Corporation (NFDC)'s Peddar Road premises in Mumbai, offering 18 industry-driven courses in the AVGC-XR sector, with the Centre's help. The Union ministry of information and broadcasting has allocated Rs.250 crore under the new central sector scheme 'Talent Development in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) Sector.' "The provision is to promote India and its youth as leaders in content creation by setting up AVGC content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges," the ministry said in its notes on demands for grants for financial year 2026-2027. Hailing the announcement in the budget, Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, "There is no dearth of quality in creativity and art in our country. The creator labs in schools will prove to be very effective in promoting creativity among students."P4...