Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) participated in the official Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB), Government of India delegation to the Republic of Korea and Japan as part of a knowledge exchange programme focused on strengthening India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) ecosystem.
The delegation explored global best practices across creative technologies, content infrastructure, gaming, animation, manga, digital media, start-up incubation and creator development, with a focus on learnings for the proposed Content Creation Labs initiative.
Led by Ms. Shruti Singh, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, the delegation included Mr. Ashutosh Mohle, Press Registrar General of India; Ms. Bineet Kaur, Assistant Director, Indian Information Service; Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, CEO, IICT; and Mr. Ninad Raikar, COO, IICT.
During the visit to South Korea, the delegation engaged with key organisations including Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), where discussions centred around broadcasting innovation, digital transformation, production workflows and global content distribution.
At KRAFTON Inc., the delegation explored developments in gaming, AI-enabled content creation, developer talent pipelines, start-up incubation and interactive entertainment. The team also visited KRAFTON Jungle Lab to understand its residential talent development model focused on software AI, game development and gaming technologies.
The delegation further visited the Art Convergence Center at Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts), along with meetings with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA). The interactions provided insights into Korea’s approach towards supporting animation, gaming, broadcasting, comics, webtoons, music, XR, start-ups, exports and creator development.
Visits to Hongneung Talent Campus and the Seoul Film Centre offered perspectives on talent development, film education, creator support systems and creative infrastructure models relevant to India’s growing AVGC-XR sector.
In Japan, the delegation engaged with Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS) to understand content innovation, digital transformation and audience engagement strategies. The team also visited the International Professional University of Technology, Osaka, to study industry-oriented education models in digital entertainment, information technology and emerging technologies.
The delegation’s Kyoto programme included visits to Kyoto Seika University, known for its focus on manga, animation, media expression and creative education; the Kyoto International Manga Museum; and the Ritsumeikan Center, which works in areas including game studies, digital archives and interactive media innovation.
In Tokyo, the delegation visited Digital Hollywood University to explore interdisciplinary education models spanning 3DCG, VFX, game programming, film, anime, web, VR/AR, media arts and entrepreneurship.
Meetings with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) highlighted the country’s approach to developing content as an economic and export sector, with globally recognised intellectual properties such as Pokémon, Hello Kitty, Mario, Anpanman and Shonen Jump / Jump Comics demonstrating the potential of long-term IP creation.
The delegation also met the Agency for Cultural Affairs under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to understand creator support frameworks, human resource development initiatives, production support, overseas dissemination and industry-academia collaboration.
The Tokyo programme further included visits to Bandai Namco Pictures; Kodansha, a leading Japanese publishing house behind globally recognised manga and storytelling properties such as Attack on Titan and AKIRA; the Tokyo Contents Incubation Center (TCIC), a Tokyo Metropolitan Government-backed incubator supporting creative start-ups; and Toei Animation.
Commenting on the visit, Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, CEO, IICT, said, “IICT’s participation in the MIB delegation to the Republic of Korea and Japan provided an opportunity to study some of the world’s most evolved creative technology and content ecosystems. The engagements across broadcasting, gaming, manga, animation, creative education, policy and incubation will contribute significantly to IICT’s efforts to build industry-aligned programmes, support original IP creation and strengthen India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem.”
The learnings from the international programme will contribute to IICT’s ongoing efforts in talent development, research, start-up incubation, policy initiatives and original IP creation. The insights gained from Korea and Japan will also support the development of the proposed Content Creation Labs initiative, aimed at empowering Indian creators, students, start-ups, institutions and industry partners.
