Budget 2026: AVGC labs in schools, colleges to upskill students
Big news for creative minds—Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman just proposed to support setting up Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges.
The goal? Equip students with the skills needed for a booming industry that could need two million pros by 2030.
₹250 crore allocated for youth skill-building in AVGC fields
The government has allocated ₹4,551.94 crore to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in the Union Budget, with ₹250 crore focused on youth skill-building in AVGC fields.
The Game Developer Association of India welcomed the move, with Manish Agarwal calling the announcement "a landmark step" and saying they "strongly welcome this move" which will "significantly accelerate the growth of gaming, AVGC-XR, and interactive media careers."