I&B Ministry
Union cabinet clears AVGC National Centre of Excellence
MUMBAI: The Modi-led central government is putting its might behind the AVGC (animation, visual effects, gaming, comics &XR ) component of the media & entertainment sector. It has followed up its announcement a couple of weeks ago about the setting up of a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) in Mumbai by getting the plan cleared by the union cabinet.
The NCoE is planned to be set up as a section 8 company under the Companies Act 2013 with equity participation from the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & industry (Ficci) and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the Indian government. More than Rs 500 crore is to be pumped into the centre by the government, possibly through the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). .
Provisionally named the Indian Institute for Immersive Creators (IIIC), the center aims to revolutionise the AVGC sector and foster innovation in immersive technologies. It is planned to be modelled after the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) with a sharp focus on creating content for India and the world.
A press release issued by the ministry of information & broadcasting on 29 September said that the idea is to create “a world class talent pool in India to cater to the Indian as well as global entertainment industry and make India a global hub for AVGC.”
With rapidly evolving technology and increasing internet penetration all across the country, coupled with one of the cheapest data rates, the usage of AVGC-XR globally is poised to grow at an exponential pace. This is bound to create abundant opportunities, particularly through the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE).
Some of its key objectives are:
* Focusing on creating Indian IP
* Leveraging India’s cultural heritage in new age
* Create a multiplier effect in the industry
* An industry led initiative, in partnership with state and academia
* Integrated focus on education, skilling industry, development, innovation
* Hub and spoke model of development to be followed
* IIIC as the hub and several centers as its spokes dedicated innovation and research fund to promote start-up ecosystem.
The NCoE is being planned to provide a fertile platform for immersive tech – including virtual reality, augmented reality, mixed reality, 3D modelling, animation, comics and gaming – by offering cutting-edge training and integrate India’s rich cultural heritage with modern technology, fostering the creation of indigenous intellectual property (IP) and building the future of India’s digital creative economy.
The target is to create an estimated 500,00 jobs, with students gaining practical experience through industry-driven courses, ensuring they are job-ready upon graduation. Those graduating will be provided with internships while start-ups will be mentored.
It may be recalled that union minister of finance & corporate affairs Nirmala Sitharaman had announced in the 2022-23 budget that an AVGC task force would to created. The NCoE is one of the recommendations of the task force.
I&B Ministry
Prasar Bharati opens AIR to private content under new policy
NIPP introduces revenue share, sponsored and gratis models
MUMBAI: Radio may be the oldest voice in the room, but it’s learning some very modern tricks. In a bid to stay tuned to changing listener habits, Prasar Bharati has opened the doors of All India Radio to private players under a newly rolled-out content framework. The initiative, titled Notice Inviting Programme Proposals (NIPP), marks a significant shift in how the public broadcaster approaches programming moving from a largely in-house model to a more collaborative, market-aligned ecosystem. Issued by Akashvani’s Directorate General in April 2026, the policy invites private producers, content owners and aggregators to pitch programmes across formats, from radio dramas and documentaries to quiz shows, storytelling and music-led content.
At the heart of the framework lies a three-pronged participation model designed to balance creative freedom with commercial viability. The most prominent route is revenue sharing, where advertising and sponsorship income generated by a programme is split between the producer and the broadcaster. The structure tilts in favour of creators offering a 70:30 split when producers bring in advertising, and 65:35 when monetisation is handled by Prasar Bharati.
Alongside this sits the sponsored model, where producers fully fund and monetise their content, subject to compliance with advertising norms and the AIR Broadcast Code. For those less commercially inclined, a gratis route allows content to be submitted free of cost, with Prasar Bharati retaining all monetisation rights effectively turning the platform into a national distribution channel for diverse voices.
The move comes as legacy media grapples with intensifying competition from private FM networks, streaming platforms and digital audio ecosystems. By repositioning AIR as both a public service broadcaster and a content marketplace, Prasar Bharati appears to be recalibrating its role in a rapidly evolving media landscape.
Importantly, the framework does not dilute editorial control. All submissions must adhere to the AIR Broadcast Code, and proposals are evaluated through a layered process that weighs storytelling quality, production capability, audience appeal and revenue potential. Only proposals crossing a defined threshold move forward, signalling that while access has widened, the bar remains firmly in place.
Operational discipline is another cornerstone of the policy. Producers are required to maintain broadcast-ready content, deliver episode banks in advance and navigate a structured approval process. Crucially, all production costs are borne by the content provider, reinforcing Prasar Bharati’s positioning as a distribution and oversight platform rather than a commissioning entity.
What elevates the initiative further is its scale. The framework spans multiple clusters and stations across India, covering both metro and regional markets, with specific language mandates and submission channels. This not only expands the content pipeline but also deepens linguistic and cultural representation, an area where AIR has historically held an advantage.
In effect, NIPP signals a quiet but meaningful transformation. AIR is no longer just broadcasting to the nation, it is inviting the nation to broadcast with it, blending legacy reach with contemporary content economics in a bid to stay relevant in an increasingly fragmented audio universe.
