Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 30 (ANI): The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) has signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with organisations from the media, entertainment, technology and esports sectors at FICCI FRAMES 2026 in Mumbai.

The agreements were signed on Tuesday, the second day of the two-day event held at the Grand Hyatt on September 29 and 30. Maharashtra Minister for Electronics, Information Technology, AI and Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar was present at the signing ceremony along with representatives of the participating organisations.

The five organisations include the Motion Picture Association (MPA), India, Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT), Kerala, E-Sports Games Federation (ESGF), RioWood and Warm Up Ventures.

The partnerships focus on industry exposure for students, skill development, technology, startup support and creating more opportunities in India's animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR) sectors.

Under its agreement with MPA India, IICT will work towards improving industry-academia engagement through knowledge exchange, industry exposure and learning opportunities for students and emerging creative professionals.

The partnership with C-DIT will support the proposed Kerala State Centre of Excellence for AVGC-XR in Thiruvananthapuram. It will cover curriculum development, faculty training, studio internships, startup incubation, technology support and international industry connections.

The agreement with ESGF aims to support the growth of esports in India through training, infrastructure development, research, industry standards, events and international partnerships.

IICT's partnership with RioWood will focus on education, artificial intelligence and media technologies. The agreement includes scholarships, workshops, masterclasses, startup support and the use of AI in production and distribution. It will also cover content discovery, localisation and digital rights management.

The MoU with Warm Up Ventures will support startups and businesses connected to IICT through mentorship, funding opportunities, investor connections and business development support. The partnership also aims to connect Indian creative technology ventures with international markets.

Speaking about the role of such partnerships in India's creative technology sector, Munjal Shroff, Co-Chair, Animation, VFX, Gaming and Comics Sector, FICCI, said, "India's AVGC-XR opportunity lies in building stronger connections between talent, technology and the global media and entertainment industry. Partnerships such as these bring industry exposure closer to learners while strengthening the institutional ecosystem required for India to play a larger role in the global creative economy."

IICT CEO Dr. Vishwas Deoskar said the agreements would help students and emerging creators gain industry experience and learn about global practices.

"IICT is focused on building meaningful connections between education, industry and technology. These partnerships will provide our students and emerging creators with greater exposure to international practices, industry-led learning and real-world opportunities, while contributing to the growth of a robust and future-ready AVGC-XR ecosystem in India," he said.

Ashish Kulkarni, Founding Director of IICT, said the partnerships would connect students and emerging creators with organisations across the media, entertainment, esports and technology sectors.

MPA Asia Pacific President and Managing Director Urmila Venugopalan said the partnership would help young Indian creators gain industry knowledge and international exposure.

"The future of creativity will be shaped by the intersection of storytelling, technology and talent. We are delighted to partner with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) to help equip the next generation of Indian creators with global perspectives and industry insights," she said as per a release. 

C-DIT Registrar Jayadev Anand A.K. said the proposed Centre of Excellence would help develop Kerala's AVGC-XR sector by bringing together technology, training and industry participation.

RioWood founder Ravi Velhal also spoke about the partnership, saying, "RioWood, Rio De Janeiro Brasil is pleased to announce entering into MoU with IICT to collaborate on "Education, AI and media technologies initiatives" between two vibrant content ecosystems to promote innovation and future of Entertainment 3.0"

The agreements were signed as part of IICT's efforts to build partnerships across education, technology, media, entertainment and the creative economy. (ANI)