More than 80 per cent of animation work for the recent Hollywood movie Mufasa: The Lion King was done by IT companies based out of Bengaluru, said Karnataka Minister for the Departments of Electronics, IT and BT, and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Priyank Kharge. Speaking ahead of the Bengaluru GAFX—India’s premier AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) Conference—which is being organised by the ministry of ITBT, Karnataka, the minister said animation outsourcing services in the city have a huge potential waiting to be tapped.
The three-day event with the theme 'Future of Immersion: EXPERIENCE. EXPLORE. DISRUPT', from February 27 to March 1, will focus on fostering innovation, facilitating knowledge-sharing, and encouraging strategic collaborations.
Kharge said India has huge potential in terms of growth in the gaming industry as well. “India has the highest number of gamer population in the world with more than 500 million gamers. During the last one year, 23 million new gamers were added in the country. The gaming industry is growing at the rate of 23 per cent every year,” he said.
Kharge said the GAFX 2025 reinforces Bengaluru’s position as the world’s top hub for AVGC-XR and a force behind India’s global leadership in immersive media and entertainment. The event is expected to be attended by over 20,000. It is expected that this year will be one of the most influential gathering for creators, developers, investors, studios, and enthusiasts from across the AVGC-XR ecosystem.
Attendees are likely to experience immersive technologies in storytelling, from real-time rendering breakthroughs to the transformative potential of virtual and augmented reality. Kharge said the state government's role is of an accelerator, fostering the fusion of human creativity with AI tools in ways that will transform this sector.
GAFX 2025 will have several firsts such as a public-access expo and creative zone, immersive conference sessions with world leaders, an innovation zone, investor connect, and the live finals of an e-sports national tournament. Karnataka has a 16-year-old AVGC policy' and this year's event will also feature funding opportunities for start-ups and IP creators, global showcase of AVGC XR cutting-edge work, and nationwide collaboration showcasing how arts and sciences converge to drive the future of immersive technology.
The event will also have different presentations, 50 pitch sessions, and an India expo with national participation across technology and representatives from over 12 states. There will be presentations by Warner Brothers, ILM, Technicolor Group, Maddock Films, D-Neg, Nvidia, Autodesk, Amar Chitra Katha, and many more.
The event will not only highlight Karnataka’s dedication to innovation but will also showcase the state’s alignment with the four core pillars—Infrastructure, Skill Development, R&D Investment, and Creative Collaboration.