BENGALURU: Bengaluru GAFX 2026 concluded on Sunday with a turnout of over 10,000 visitors, more than 50 exhibitors and solution providers, and wide participation from students, studios and investors, reflecting the expanding scale of India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) ecosystem.
The three-day summit hosted over 200 speakers from India and 10 countries with nearly 100 sessions, 300 curated B2B meetings and 35 investor pitches connecting startups with global investors. 20 intellectual properties were launched, including ten from Karnataka.
At the valedictory session, IT & BT Minister Priyank Kharge said artificial intelligence is transforming animation, gaming and visual effects production by reducing timelines and reshaping creative workflows. He announced measures under the Nipuna programme to support large-scale reskilling with government assistance, plans for a Responsible Use of AI Committee. He highlighted efforts to strengthen IP protection and expand global market access.
Higher Education Minister M. C. Sudhakar outlined apprenticeship-embedded degree programmes that place students in workplaces by the fifth semester, with stipends in sectors such as retail, e-commerce and logistics, aimed at producing job-ready graduates.
The summit witnessed the signing of an MoU between the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies and ABAI to strengthen collaboration in curriculum development, incubation and research. KalaVerse, a cultural pavilion integrating Yakshagana and Janapada art into animation and gaming pipelines, and expanded investor engagement platforms were among other highlights. The next edition will be held from January 29 to 31, 2027.