India's first campus of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) was inaugurated in Mumbai on Friday. Modelled on the lines of IITs and IIMs, IICT aims to become a national centre of excellence in animation, visual effects (VFX), gaming, comics, and extended reality (XR). It will offer 18 industry-driven courses in these fields. The inaugural batch of 300 students will begin classes in September at the Phase 1 campus, located within the National Film Development Corporation premises on Pedder Road. 

IICT has collaborated with global players like Google, Meta, NVIDIA, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, and WPP, to develop industry-relevant training modules in VFX, gaming, and XR. These partnerships aim to ensure students are equipped with cutting-edge skills. 

Further, the institute will offer state-of-the-art learning environment with world-class infrastructure, including advanced media labs, post-production suites, and specialised animation training zones.

A total of ₹400 crore has been allocated for the institute’s development. Plans are in progress for partnerships with four Indian universities, while an MoU with York University (Canada) has already been signed. Vaishnaw confirmed that additional IICT campuses will be established in future, with the next one planned as a state-of-the-art, 10-acre permanent campus in Filmcity, Goregaon.