BENGALURU: Over 80% of the animation for the Hollywood film ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ was handled by IT firms in Bengaluru, Karnataka IT and BT Minister Priyank Kharge said, pointing out that Bengaluru’s animation outsourcing sector has immense potential that is still yet to be fully explored.
The minister was speaking ahead of the Bengaluru GAFX, AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) conference which is scheduled to take place from February 27 to March 1 on the theme -- Future of Immersion - Experience, Explore, Disrupt.
This year’s edition will focus on the latest advancements in real-time rendering, AI-driven visual arts, virtual and augmented reality, and new business models in gaming and digital storytelling. Over 20,000 participants — double that of previous editions — are expected to attend the event.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Kharge highlighted India’s immense potential in the gaming industry, stating that the country has the world’s largest gaming population, with over 500 million gamers.
“In the past year alone, 23 million new gamers were added, and the industry is expanding at an annual growth rate of 23%,” he said.Kharge highlighted how the government is fostering growth in the digital media sector by supporting both startups and global studios.
GAFX 2025 will introduce several firsts, including a public-access expo and creative zone, conference sessions featuring global leaders, an innovation zone, investor connect, and the live finals of a national e-sports tournament featuring the top four regional teams. Karnataka, which has a 16-year-old AVGC policy, will also use the event to provide funding opportunities for startups and intellectual property (IP) creators, the minister said.