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Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 18 (ANI): The first campus of the 'Indian Institute of Creative Technology' (IICT) was inaugurated at National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) complex here by the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday.

According to a release from the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, thereafter, WAVES 2025 Bharat Pavilion, at the Gulshan Mahal in NFDC-National Museum of Indian Cinema (NMIC), was ceremonially inaugurated by CM Fadnavis and Union Minister Vaishnaw.

The Outcome Reports of the first edition of the World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES 2025) were also released on the occasion. The IICT logo and seventeen courses were also ceremonially launched on the occasion.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Prasar Bharati and the Government of Maharashtra through Maharashtra Film, Stage & Cultural Development Corporation Ltd (MFSCDCL) was also signed on the occasion. Recognising the importance of creativity in the field of film and television in the country, both parties collaborate to develop an Integrated Film and Television Media Hub to promote innovation, skill development, and international competitiveness in the media sector.

Speaking on the occasion, CM Fadnavis thanked the Central Government for organising the first edition of WAVES in Mumbai, the Entertainment capital of India. The first edition of WAVES was held on May 1-4, in Mumbai this year.

As per the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have a global event in India to boost the creative economy, 'WAVES' has been successfully organised through the combined efforts of the Centre and the State Government of Maharashtra, stated Fadnavis.

He said, "WAVES has now become a movement and we are hearing a global echo of the event". WAVES has started a new churning for the creative economy, he added. To give a major boost to the WAVES initiative and the creators' economy, the Maharashtra Government has decided to allocate Rs 150 crore, he added.

Maharashtra CM expressed hope about the IICT Campus, which is coming up at Film City, emerging not only as an institution of world-class education, but also as an architectural and cultural landmark that attracts people from across the globe.

He further said that the Bharat Pavilion which was highly appreciated at WAVES 2025, and now relocated to Gulshan Mahal in NMIC, will add a new cultural destination in Mumbai's tourism circuit.

He also informed that the WAVES Index, which was announced during WAVES and initially comprised of 42 companies, with a collective valuation of approximately Rs 93,000 crores, has crossed Rs 1 lakh crores in a short duration. This clearly reflects the rapid growth and immense potential of the creators' economy, he added.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, PM Modi's dream was to have an institution of the scale of IITs and IIMs in the field of creative technologies and setting up of IICT is a landmark decision in this direction.

He added, "It is important to provide the people working in the creative economy with new skills, training and tools, and to bring the best practices of the world to India. Then only new incubations, new ideas and new technologies will be made in India."

He expressed happiness about the first IICT campus being started in a short period. "The next campus coming up on land provided by the Government of Maharashtra at Film City is being built aesthetically and in tune with the natural surroundings. A budget of Rs 400 crores has been allocated for IICT," further stated the Union I & B Minister.

Vaishnaw also informed that IICT will have completely industry-aligned advanced programs in VFX, post-production, XR, gaming and animation. In the spirit of industry-academia integration, IICT has entered into formal partnerships with companies like Google, Meta, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe and WPP, amongst others. The Union Minister said that the target is to train 300 students in the first batch and also impart advanced training to the professionals and trainers of the AVGC-XR fields.

The Minister for Cultural Affairs and IT, Government of Maharashtra, Ashish Shelar, Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra, Rajesh Singh Meena and Union Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju were also present on the occasion.

Dignitaries present on the occasion included noted filmmaker and IFFI Festival Director Shekhar Kapur and renowned lyricist and CBFC Chairperson Prasoon Joshi.

India's burgeoning digital and creative economy is set for a transformational leap as the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) opens admissions for its first batch of students starting this August. The institute will offer a robust portfolio of industry-driven courses in the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) sector.

In a celebration of India's timeless storytelling legacy and its dynamic leap into the future of global content creation, the Bharat Pavilion emerged as a centrepiece of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025, held at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai. Inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, the Pavilion stands as a tribute to India's cultural soul and its digital transformation from Kala to Code.

Conceptualised and spearheaded by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, the Bharat Pavilion represents the country's aspiration to be a creative superpower. The exhibits arranged in different thematic zones not only provide an immersive experience, but also reflect the I and B Ministry's commitment to nurturing the Orange Economy -- powered by Content, Creativity, and Culture.

- ANI