AI reshaping the AVGC ecosystem, says Priyank Kharge

Bengaluru: IT/BT Minister Priyank Kharge on Sunday said AI is fundamentally transforming content creation workflows across animation, gaming and immersive media. He said AI could reduce production timelines significantly, while lowering costs by up to 25-40% in certain animation workflows, enabling regional creators to reach global audiences.

Addressing the valedictory ceremony of Bengaluru GAFX 2026, Kharge highlighted that the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics) sector has evolved beyond entertainment to become a critical pillar of the digital and creative economy.

“The AVGC sector today is not just about animation or gaming — it represents digital exports, cultural influence, youth employment and India’s creative soft power in a rapidly evolving AI-driven world,” he said.

AI-driven tools are already enabling faster concept creation and storyboarding, automated animation and rendering optimisation, dynamic game environment generation, reduced production cycles and operational costs, and greater accessibility for smaller studios to compete globally.

Priority initiatives

The minister also announced several priority initiatives aimed at strengthening the state’s leadership in creative technology. The state will work toward an integrated AVGC-AI ecosystem supporting R&D, innovation and advanced creative technologies.

The government will also explore structured guidelines covering AI training datasets, copyright protection, royalty structures and digital likeness rights to safeguard creators.

Karnataka will adopt a hub-and-spoke model to develop creative technology clusters beyond Bengaluru, expanding opportunities across regions, and will introduce a regulatory sandbox mechanism enabling innovators to test emerging technologies, even before formal policy frameworks are established.