The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Visual Effects Society (VES) (India Section), marking a significant step toward reshaping India’s AVGC-XR landscape through deeper industry-academia collaboration.
Signed in Mumbai, the partnership brings together IICT’s focus on education, research, and innovation in creative technologies with VES’s global expertise in visual effects. The collaboration will enable initiatives such as guest lectures, industry talks, workshops, masterclasses, mentorship, and joint ecosystem engagements including panels, networking events, and talent showcases, along with hosting VES India’s exclusive film screenings at IICT’s state-of-the-art 4K laser projection theatre with Dolby Atmos.
The MoU was signed by Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, Chief Executive Officer, IICT, along with Rutul Patel, Chair, VES India Section, and Priyan Parab, Vice Chair, VES India Section.
Dr. Vishwas Deoskar said, “This collaboration represents far more than an institutional partnership, it is a strategic step toward shaping the future of India’s VFX and creative technology ecosystem. As global demand for high-quality visual storytelling accelerates, India is uniquely positioned to emerge as a leading hub for VFX and digital content creation. By bringing together world-class industry expertise and a new generation of skilled talent, this initiative will contribute to building a robust, future-ready workforce, strengthening India’s role in the global value chain, and catalyzing the growth of the broader creative economy. Over time, such collaborations can significantly enhance India’s export potential, drive innovation-led growth, and create new opportunities across the AVGC-XR sector at scale.”
Rutul Patel added, “At VES India, we see this partnership with IICT as a meaningful step toward bridging industry and academia in a very real, hands-on way. It allows us to bring the local & the global VES community closer to emerging talent through workshops, portfolio reviews and screenings that reflect how the industry truly operates today. At the same time, it gives our members access to IICT’s world-class infrastructure, including their advanced theatre and LED volume stage, creating opportunities for deeper creative and technical collaboration.”
Priyan Parab added, “The MoU with IICT is a forward-looking initiative that aligns with our vision of fostering collaboration and advancing creative technologies in India. Together, we aim to create meaningful platforms for learning, innovation, and global industry integration.”
Established as a National Centre of Excellence for the AVGC-XR sector, IICT was announced at the WAVES 2025 summit in May 2025 and inaugurated in Mumbai in July 2025 by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The institute launched its first campus at the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) complex, with its first academic batch that started in September 2025.
IICT currently offers 18 industry-aligned courses across animation, VFX, gaming, comics, and XR, designed for a wide range of learners, from students and fresh graduates to working professionals looking to upskill or transition careers as the programmes include two-year and one-year diplomas as well as six-month and three-month certifications across disciplines.
Powered by strategic alliances with global technology leaders such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, Netflix, NVIDIA, Adobe, YouTube, WPP, York University and JioStudios, the institute is also developing a larger, dedicated campus at Film City, Goregaon, as part of its long-term vision to position India as a global hub for the creative economy.
