Priyank Kharge
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge said that Karnataka contributes close to 20 per cent of the country's media and entertainment industry, with over 300 AVGC-XR studios present.
Announcing the seventh edition of Bengaluru GAFX 2026, which is the annual conference and exhibition for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, XR, and immersive and interactive content that will be held from February 27 to March 1, 2026, the minister said the theme for this year is 'Evolution Reloaded', which reflects the next phase of growth in the AVGC and immersive media industries.
"Artificial Intelligence (AI) has disrupted so much that we have to re-evolve. We may need to evolve our policy and skillsets. More importantly, we need to evolve business processes," he said.
The state government has previously allocated Rs 150 crore towards AVGC-XR policy for the year 2024-29. "We have identified the orange economy much earlier, and we will ensure that we accelerate ourselves in this sector," the minister said. The AVGC policy is designed to accelerate growth across AVGC and emerging creative technologies.
The Karnataka government, in association with the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI) and Startup Karnataka, will conduct Bengaluru GAFX 2026. The event will bring together creators, studios, technologists, investors, and industry leaders from across the global media and entertainment ecosystem.
With over 200 speakers across 100 sessions, masterclasses and workshops, GAFX 2026 will host global experts from leading studios such as ILM, Netflix, MrX, Base FX, Monk Studios and The Perlin.
The AVGC Centre of Excellence (CoE), which is a part of Karnataka’s AVGC strategy, has executed over 200 projects across domestic and international markets, spanning animation, VFX, gaming, XR, and immersive content pipelines. It has also functioned as a critical incubation and shelter platform for over 100 AVGC startups.
"For over a decade, Bengaluru GAFX has been a key catalyst for India’s AVGC sector - bringing together talent, technology, policy and global opportunity on a single platform.
‘Evolution Reloaded’ reflects Karnataka’s belief that the next phase of AVGC growth will be driven by the convergence of deep technology and human creativity. GAFX embodies our ambition to position Karnataka as a global hub for creative technology and next-generation storytelling," Kharge said.
“Bengaluru GAFX, in partnership with the Government of Karnataka, has reshaped how the world values India’s creative talent," Biren Ghose, President, ABAI, said.