STATE TO UNVEIL NEW VISUAL EFFECTS, GAMING AND COMICS POLICY

Karnataka is aiming to make the AVGC sector the biggest employment provider and the new policy will promote it as a lucrative outsourcing destination

The state government will come up with a new Visual effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) policy by the end of this month. The draft is already in place and being scrutinised before being made public to boost the sector that is being pitted as one of the largest employment generators in the state.

A little bit of Bengaluru has augmented the magical experience of the audience watching movies like Life of Pi with its circus animals, Jungle Book with its passion for the red flower and spells flying all over the place in Harry Potter after a robust Visual effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) was put in place in the state for the first time in 2012.

Principal Secretary, IT, BT and Science and Technology V Manjula on the sideline of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas told Mirror, “We are coming up with a new AVGC policy to provide a fillip to this sector and it will be announced sometime soon or maybe at the end of this month. The sector has immense potential and hence the state government is leaving no stones unturned to boost the same.”

Karnataka is aiming to spread awareness and make the AVGC sector the biggest employment provider and the new policy will be put in place to promote the state as a lucrative outsourcing destination as well as attract investments for new entrants in the sector and increase the current share of 22 per cent of countries that share the game developing and animation service providing sector.

Priyank Khrage, IT and BT minister, said, “This is one of the fastest growing sectors and the state is proud to be the first one to mull a policy for this growing industry that has nurtured the sector since 2012. Now we are planning to come up with a digital media city and a venture fund of around Rs 20 crore is already put in place for contribution towards promoting the AVGC sector in the state.”

The new policy will address the issues that have cropped up since the first policy was drafted in the year 2012 and will stimulate the creative industry that is expected to grow exponentially in the next few years in the areas of media and entertainment, areas such as e-learning, advertising, industrial design and development projects.

Biren Ghose, Country Head Technicolor India said, “The industry is growing fast and the biggest witness of this fact is my own company that started with around 100 employees have now a strength of 2600 employees and in the next five months we will recruit 500 more people as the demand is growing exponentially.”

“We are also extending our training programs at seven colleges at the moment to build a skill base for this never satiating industry for man power and soon it will be extended to 11 colleges and in next five years we plan to cover more than 20 colleges to equip the youth of the state with required skills for this fast growing sector.