WaveX and IICT Mumbai Launched Media Tech Incubator to Boost AVGC-XR Startups.
National
In August 2025, WaveX, an initiative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) in partnership with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, Maharashtra, launched the Media Tech Startup Incubator. This incubator is designed to accelerate Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) startups across India.
- The Media Tech Startup Incubator will function on a two-phase model, namely the Active Phase and the Passive Phase, to provide structured support to high-potential ventures. During the Active Phase, startups will receive business modeling, fundraising, product development, media regulation guidance, and access to sandbox testing opportunities in OTT (Over The Top), VFX (Visual Effects), VR (Virtual Reality), gaming, animation, and post-production.
- The Passive Phase of the incubator will include global showcases through Waves Bazaar, along with mentorship opportunities and industry networking sessions. This ensures startups gain long-term visibility and investor outreach beyond their initial incubation stage.
- The incubator will offer state-of-the-art facilities, including co-working spaces, audiovisual/digital labs, high-speed LAN/Wi-Fi, hosting servers, and cloud services from Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Global partnerships with tech giants such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta will provide mentorship, investment, and technical expertise.
Main Point :- (i) The first batch will consist of 15 startups, which will be incubated at IICT Mumbai with a monthly fee of ₹8,500 inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST). Startups will also receive quarterly-based reviews and mentoring directly under the supervision of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
(ii) The last date to apply for the first batch is September 07, 2025, marking the formal commencement of this flagship incubation program aimed at strengthening India’s creative economy and promoting entrepreneurship in the AVGC-XR ecosystem.
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