Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) has entered into a strategic partnership with the Visual Effects Society (VES) India Section, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem through deeper industry-academia collaboration.
The agreement brings together IICT’s focus on education, research, and innovation in creative technologies with VES’s global expertise in visual effects, marking a significant step toward building a future-ready talent pipeline for the sector.
As part of the collaboration, the two organisations will jointly roll out a range of initiatives including guest lectures, industry talks, workshops, masterclasses, and mentorship programmes. The partnership will also enable ecosystem engagements such as panel discussions, networking events, and talent showcases. In addition, IICT will host exclusive VES India film screenings at its advanced 4K laser projection theatre equipped with Dolby Atmos.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, Chief Executive Officer, IICT, along with Rutul Patel, Chair, VES India Section, and Priyan Parab, Vice Chair, VES India Section.
Dr. Vishwas Deoskar said, “This collaboration represents far more than an institutional partnership, it is a strategic step toward shaping the future of India’s VFX and creative technology ecosystem. As global demand for high-quality visual storytelling accelerates, India is uniquely positioned to emerge as a leading hub for VFX and digital content creation. By bringing together world-class industry expertise and a new generation of skilled talent, this initiative will contribute to building a robust, future-ready workforce, strengthening India’s role in the global value chain, and catalyzing the growth of the broader creative economy. Over time, such collaborations can significantly enhance India’s export potential, drive innovation-led growth, and create new opportunities across the AVGC-XR sector at scale.”
Rutul Patel added, “At VES India, we see this partnership with IICT as a meaningful step toward bridging industry and academia in a very real, hands-on way. It allows us to bring the local & the global VES community closer to emerging talent through workshops, portfolio reviews and screenings that reflect how the industry truly operates today. At the same time, it gives our members access to IICT’s world-class infrastructure, including their advanced theatre and LED volume stage, creating opportunities for deeper creative and technical collaboration.”
Priyan Parab added, “The MoU with IICT is a forward-looking initiative that aligns with our vision of fostering collaboration and advancing creative technologies in India. Together, we aim to create meaningful platforms for learning, innovation, and global industry integration.”
Established as a National Centre of Excellence for the AVGC-XR sector, IICT was announced at the WAVES 2025 summit and inaugurated in Mumbai in July 2025 by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, along with Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The institute operates its first campus at the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) complex, with its inaugural academic batch commencing in September 2025.
Currently, IICT offers 18 industry-aligned programmes across animation, VFX, gaming, comics, and XR, catering to students, graduates, and working professionals. These include two-year and one-year diploma courses, along with shorter certification programmes spanning three to six months.
The institute is also supported by strategic alliances with global technology and media companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, NVIDIA, Adobe, YouTube, WPP, York University, and JioStudios.
As part of its long-term vision, IICT is developing a larger, dedicated campus at Film City, Goregaon, reinforcing its ambition to position India as a global hub for the creative economy and digital content innovation.
