Budget 2026: Rs 250 Cr for AVGC Talent, Content Creator Labs in Schools

• Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced Rs 250 crore for talent development in the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sector in Budget 2026-27.
• The government proposes setting up AVGC content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges, supported by the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in Mumbai.
• An additional Rs 35 crore is allocated to the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and NCoE AVGC-XR, an increase from Rs 17 crore in Budget 2025-26.
• The AVGC sector is projected to require 2 million professionals by 2030, with the government aiming to train students for this demand.
• Noida Film City is set to host the world's largest integrated Content Creators' Incubation and Lab Ecosystem, aligning with the Budget's vision for the creator economy.

Why It Matters: Budget 2026 allocates significant funds and infrastructure for AVGC talent development and creator economy.