IICT signs five MoUs to strengthen India’s AVGC-XR and creative-tech ecosystem

The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Motion Picture Association (MPA), India; Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT), Kerala; E-Sports Games Federation (ESGF); RioWood; and Warm Up Ventures on September 30, the second day of FICCI FRAMES 2026, held on September 29–30 at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.

The MoUs were signed in the presence of Ashish Shelar, Minister of Electronics, Information Technology, AI and Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra, along with senior representatives and stakeholders from the participating organisations.

The MoU with MPA, India, focuses on strengthening industry-academia engagement through knowledge exchange, industry exposure and opportunities for students and emerging creative professionals.


The MoU with C-DIT, an autonomous institution of the Government of Kerala working in imaging technology, ICT and related technology applications, supports the establishment of the Kerala State Centre of Excellence for AVGC-XR in Thiruvananthapuram. The collaboration covers technology and infrastructure advisory, curriculum and skill development, faculty training, studio internships, startup incubation, IP support and international industry linkages.

The MoU with ESGF establishes a framework to develop, promote and advance the esports ecosystem through policy and governance, industry standards, technology and infrastructure, skilled manpower, training and capacity building, events and programmes, research and innovation, stakeholder and investment engagement, international partnerships, knowledge exchange, thought leadership and best-practice sharing.

The MoU with RioWood will support industry-informed curriculum and six-month scholarships, practical workshops and masterclasses, startup incubation and global investor connections, media and education initiatives, AI-assisted production and distribution workflows, content discovery and localisation, and digital rights and provenance solutions, including blockchain where appropriate. It will also cover joint academic and media education programmes.

The MoU with Warm Up Ventures will support and scale IICT-linked and creative-tech ventures through startup and founder support, venture and investment-readiness pathways, mentorship, market and investor access, industry partnerships, dedicated funding and acceleration models, international and Global South ecosystem engagement, and the promotion of India’s creative economy, screen economy and AVGC-XR leadership in alignment with national initiatives such as Viksit Bharat, Create in India and WAVES.

Munjal Shroff, Co-Chair, Animation, VFX, Gaming and Comics Sector, FICCI, said, “India’s AVGC-XR opportunity lies in building stronger connections between talent, technology and the global media and entertainment industry. Partnerships such as these bring industry exposure closer to learners while strengthening the institutional ecosystem required for India to play a larger role in the global creative economy.”

Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, Chief Executive Officer, IICT, said, “IICT is focused on building meaningful connections between education, industry and technology. These partnerships will provide our students and emerging creators with greater exposure to international practices, industry-led learning and real-world opportunities, while contributing to the growth of a robust and future-ready AVGC-XR ecosystem in India.”

Ashish Kulkarni, Founding Director, IICT, said, “These partnerships reflect IICT’s commitment to building a future-ready creative technology ecosystem that brings together education, industry, innovation and entrepreneurship. By connecting our students and emerging creators with leading organisations across the global media, entertainment, esports and technology landscape, we aim to create pathways that translate skills and ideas into real-world opportunities, while strengthening India’s position as a global hub for the creative economy.”

Urmila Venugopalan, President and Managing Director, Asia Pacific, Motion Picture Association, said, “The future of creativity will be shaped by the intersection of storytelling, technology and talent. This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to supporting India’s creative economy and ensuring that emerging talent has meaningful opportunities to engage with the global film, television and streaming industry.”

Jayadev Anand A.K., Registrar, C-DIT, said, “The partnership with IICT will provide an important foundation for strengthening Kerala’s AVGC-XR ecosystem. Through the proposed Centre of Excellence, we look forward to combining technology, skill development, industry engagement and innovation to create new opportunities for talent and enterprises in the state.”

Ravi Velhal, Founder, RioWood, said, “RioWood, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is pleased to announce entering into an MoU with IICT to collaborate on education, AI and media technology initiatives between two vibrant content ecosystems to promote innovation and the future of Entertainment 3.0.”

The five MoUs mark a significant step towards strengthening collaboration across education, technology, media, entertainment, esports and the wider creative economy, creating new pathways for talent, innovation and industry engagement in India and globally.