The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, organised the 1st edition of IICT Esports Premier League (IEPL) on February 8, highlighting the growing focus on the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector as a key part of India’s Orange Economy.
In the Union Budget presented this month by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, ₹250 crore has been allocated for talent development in the AVGC sector. This includes support for IICT to create AVGC content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges nationwide, as part of efforts to build a skilled talent pipeline for creative technologies.
The Indian Institute of Creative Technology is a Government of India Centre of Excellence for AVGC-XR (Extended Reality), modelled on the IIT-IIM framework and backed with a budgetary allocation of ₹400 crore for its establishment and operations.
Students and gamers gathered at IICT to participate in IEPL, which combined national online qualifiers with on-campus LAN finals. The league featured popular competitive titles, including BGMI and Valorant, as well as open-access formats such as FIFA, Real Cricket 24, Hiteicket, Cosmic Race, Beat Saver VR drawing over 1,000 students and visitors from more than 20 colleges across India, including Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, VIT and others.
IEPL was supported by industry partners such as Hitwicket and Cosmic Race, which contributed through cash prize sponsorships across select titles; CyberPowerPC (USA), which supported participant engagement through gift vouchers, branded merchandise and hardware-focused giveaways; and Xwall.io, which delivered a phygital sports experience by bringing together physical movement and digital gameplay through interactive installations. Cineon Broadcast India Limited supported the event as the technology partner.
Reflecting on the policy momentum, Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, CEO, Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, said, “Hon’ble Finance Minister’s announcement highlights the growing importance of the Orange Economy in India’s growth story. Through initiatives like content creator labs, we are enabling deeper collaboration between education and industry while opening new career pathways for young talent. IEPL is a strong example of how such platforms can prepare students for the future of creative and digital careers.”
Professional gamer Gaurang Palav, who plays for GodLike, represented India at the 2023 World Championship and finished as the second runner-up, attended the event and said, “Platforms like IEPL are vital for visibility, learning and understanding how the esports and creative tech industries work in India. It gives young gamers exposure and confidence in their potential careers. It is encouraging to see the government pushing a creator-driven economy.”
IEPL will be organised annually as part of broader efforts to integrate esports, creative technologies and industry-aligned skilling into India’s education and economic landscape.
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