Budget 2026: FM announces creator labs in 15,000 schools to boost India’s digital talent

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday gave a significant boost to India’s creator economy while presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament. Highlighting the growth of the sector, she said, “India’s animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC) sector is a growing industry projected to require two million professionals by 2030. I propose to support the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai, in setting up AVGC content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges across the country.”

The move is expected to have a wide impact on education and employment. By giving students early exposure to animation, gaming, visual effects, and comics, the labs will help bridge the current shortage of skilled talent in the sector. They will provide hands-on experience, strengthen creative and digital skills, and open up better career pathways for India’s youth. The initiative will also encourage innovation and entrepreneurship in digital content creation.

Also Read: Budget proposes penalties for crypto firms over lapses in transaction disclosures


Industry estimates show that India’s creator economy already includes millions of digital creators and influences over $350 billion in annual consumer spending. Direct revenues from creator-related activities are currently about $20-25 billion and are expected to grow to $100-125 billion by 2030, while creator-influenced consumption could exceed $1 trillion by the end of the decade.

Also Read: Budget 2026: ISM 2.0, tax holiday for cloud cos, and other announcements for tech and startup ecosystem