Kerala's AVGC-XR Hub: 50,000 Jobs by 2029

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 12 (PTI) In a path-breaking initiative, the Kerala Government has proposed to come out with a comprehensive policy on AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics and Extended Reality), a cutting-edge technology domain with immense potential for the state to emerge as a knowledge-based economy.
The draft AVGC-XR policy will be put out in the public domain to elicit views and suggestions from the public, including experts, professionals and investors, before it is finalised, the Kerala Startup Mission said in a statement on Friday.



Kerala has huge scope to emerge as a global AVGC-XR hub, considering its capabilities in the technology domain and the government's far-sighted and transformational initiatives, it said.



As a trailblazer in most critical aspects of educational, scientific and technological advancements -- having cent per cent literacy, universal education and a strong public healthcare infrastructure -- the state is eminently qualified to emerge as a AVGC-XR hub, the statement added.


Building on its strong social development base, Kerala in recent years has emerged as the country's startup powerhouse, it claimed.



The government aims to make the proposed policy a well-defined and transformational framework to take the state forward by eliciting and compiling the views and suggestions of a wide range of informed persons including CEOs of global companies, investors, professionals, academics, and students, the statement explained.



This endeavour makes use of the combined expertise of agencies such as Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), KSIDC, KSFDC, Kerala Digital University, C-DIT, Kerala Fibre Optic Network (K-FON), Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) and Kerala Knowledge Economy Mission.



The policy will set a target of creating 50,000 jobs in AVGC-XR in the state by 2029, by facilitating at least 250 firms, including multinational companies, it said.



The policy aims to equip the state to be capable of claiming at least 10 per cent of the export of AVGC-XR-based products and services from the country. Each year, at least 10,000 professionals would be identified and brought into this fast growing sector.



KSUM's Emerging Technology Hub will be expanded by including e-game and XR as part of it. As many as 150 AVGC-XR startups will be incubated. AVGC-XR labs will also be incorporated in the work-near-home project of K-DISC.



A Centre of Excellence will be developed in Thiruvananthapuram at a 20-acre site as the base for AVGC-XR activities. Also, AVGSC-XR parks and labs will be set up and spaces will be earmarked for this domain in technology parks.


Facilities of institutions like Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) will be encouraged to leverage AVGC-XR technologies.



The policy also aims to bring in AVGC-XR technologies into academic programmes.


As part of this, programmes on a range of subjects such as Animation, Visual Effects, e-Sports, Games Development, Editing, Quality Evaluation, Sound Design and Engineering, VR and AR Marketing and Consumer Experience Analysis would be launched.


Qualified professionals will be appointed as trainers with the designation 'Professor of Practice' to conduct these programmes, the statement added.