Kerala to Bring in Policy to Emerge as AVGC-XR Hub

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
In a path-breaking initiative, 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 technology domain with immense potential for the state to leverage as a knowledge-based economy.

The draft AVGC-XR policy, drawn up in this regard, will be put in the public domain to elicit views and suggestions from public including experts, professionals and investors, before finalising the policy.

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

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

Building on the strong social development base, Kerala, in recent years, emerged as the country’s startup powerhouse.

The government aims to make the proposed policy as 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 public including CEOs of global and companies, investors, professionals, academics, students.

The combined expertise of agencies like 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 has been leveraged in this endeavour.

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

The policy aims to equip the state 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 made part of 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 be incorporated in 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 in academic programmes. As part of this, programmes on a range of subjects like 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 of Professor of Practice to conduct these programmes.