IICT-Mumbai Positions Creative Technology as a Professional Career Pathway

MUMBAI: When the media and entertainment industry expands and the demand for digital content rises across the film, streaming, advertising and gaming fields, the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in Mumbai is making significant strides.

The institute is positioning itself as a specialised higher-education entity for those seeking careers in animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR) fields that have traditionally lacked formal academic pathways.

The institute is focusing on structured admissions, studio-based training and industry-aligned coursework to present creative technology disciplines as skilled professional careers, rather than informal or hobby-based pursuits.

Administrators said the aim was to build a trained talent pipeline for India’s AVGC-XR sector, which policy bodies and industry associations identify as a high-growth segment of the digital economy.

Students at the campus said clearer career pathways and visible industry demand influenced their choice.

Abhishek Choudhary, a diploma student from Maharashtra, said he shifted from engineering preparations after attending animation and VFX workshops. He wanted to set up a unit in the creative field rather than follow a conventional engineering route. The diploma format, he thought, would allow him to build skills faster and work towards starting his own venture.

His long-standing interest in filmmaking required strong technical training and IICT offered industry-focused exposure.

Another student, Veera Singh from Gorakhpur, said dedicated facilities and production-oriented training shaped his decision. Game development, he found, combines programming, art and storytelling but few specialised institutes existed in the past. The training at IICT reflected actual studio workflows and, after seeing the labs and curriculum, his parents were also confident about the prospects in the field.

The institute has structured its admissions, curriculum and training to align with industry requirements and professional standards in creative technology education. IICT chief operating officer Ninad Raikar said the approach was helping parents view animation, VFX and gaming as viable career pathways alongside conventional technical fields.

He said the institute currently had over 130 students, many of whom might otherwise have chosen engineering or allied streams but opted for creative technology programmes.

“They were interested in both technology and visual media and saw institutes like IICT as credible professional options”, he said.

Raikar said parental attitudes were also changing. “Earlier, parents were concerned about stability because animation or gaming was seen as uncertain or freelance-based. Now they recognise it as a fast-growing industry with strong demand and diverse career opportunities. With the growth of digital media, streaming and gaming, confidence among parents has improved significantly in recent years”, he stated.

Sector estimates indicate strong expansion in India’s AVGC-XR industry, driven by growth in streaming, gaming and immersive media, with rising demand for artists and developers trained in specialised production tools. The market, currently at about $2.5–3 billion, is projected to reach nearly $26 billion by 2030 and generate over 20 lakh jobs. It employs around 2.6 lakh professionals but faces a shortage of formally trained talent, even as India accounts for less than 1 per cent of the global AVGC market.

Analysts said the widening demand–supply gap was prompting institutes such as IICT to emphasise industry-aligned training and employability. They noted that consistent placement of graduates in studios, gaming firms and digital media companies would be important to strengthen social acceptance of creative technology careers alongside other professional fields.

Points:

- IICT focuses on structured admissions, studio-based training and industry-aligned curriculum to formalise creative technology education

- Students cited clearer career pathways and visible industry demand as reasons for choosing AVGC-XR programmes over conventional engineering routes

- The AVGC-XR sector in India, currently valued at $2.5–3 billion, is projected to reach nearly $26 billion by 2030 and generate over 20 lakh jobs

- Administrators said parental acceptance of animation, VFX and gaming careers has improved as the industry expands.