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"One of the finest campuses of the country": Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurates India’s first IICT Campus in Mumbai
Backed by Rs 400 crore budget and top-tier industry partnerships (including Meta, Microsoft, Apple and NVIDIA), the Indian Institute of Creative Technology will offer advanced courses in VFX, gaming, animation, and production, aiming to skill India's youth for the global creative economy.
"It is going to be one of the finest campuses of the country, I can assure and will be completed in the next four- five months,” Vaishnaw said.
Union Minister for Electronics & IT, Railways and I&B, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on July 18 inaugurated the first campus of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT) at the NFDC premises in Mumbai, marking a significant step toward building India’s capacity in the global creative tech economy.
Conceptualised as a “creative IIT” on the lines of India’s premier technical and management institutes, the IICT will offer skill-based training in modern content technologies such as VFX, post-production, animation, gaming, and creative IT.
300 students are expected to come out of the inaugural year from this NFDC IICT campus.
“This is a new kind of institution for a new India. Just like IITs and IIMs transformed engineering and management education, IICT will revolutionise creative technology education,” Vaishnaw said while addressing the gathering that included Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Ashish Shelar, Minister for Information Technology of Maharashtra, and senior officials.
He underscored the need to equip creative professionals with cutting-edge tools, skills, and global exposure.
“Technology is now integral to the creative world. India’s creators must have access to the best tools and training. IICT aims to be that hub,” Vaishnaw added.
Partnership with global tech leaders
A key differentiator for IICT, Vaishnaw emphasized, is the integration of industry from the very beginning. The institute has already established formal partnerships with global tech leaders such as Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Adobe, and WPP.
Four universities are also on board, with MoUs signed with one and talks underway with the rest.
“World-class education systems have deep integration between industry and academia. IICT is being built on that very principle,” he said.
Seventeen industry-backed programs are already being developed across fields like VFX, post-production, gaming, and animation, including training-the-trainer modules.
Courses and Infrastructure
Courses will range from three-month short-term modules to full-fledged two-year programs, catering to a wide spectrum of learners. These programs are designed with a focus on future skills and employability, Vaishnaw said.
The Mumbai campus, built on NFDC grounds, is the first of many planned under the IICT initiative.
A Rs 400 crore budget has already been allocated for IICT, with future phases to include incubation labs, collaborative spaces, and advanced training infrastructure.
The minister noted that even the natural aesthetics and terrain of the location are being preserved to ensure sustainable, thoughtful architecture.
"It is going to be one of the finest campuses of the country, I can assure and will be completed in the next four- five months."
A second campus is already in the works at Film City, for which land has been allocated and architectural designs are underway.
Vision for Mumbai and Beyond
Calling Mumbai the “cultural and creativity capital of India,” Vaishnaw said it was fitting for the city to house India’s first IICT campus. “It’s a matter of pride that the first institution dedicated to creative tech is being built in Mumbai. Just like IITs and IIMs grew into a system, IICTs will become a national network for creative excellence,” he said.
He lauded Maharashtra leadership for their quick support in land allocation and project approvals, and promised rapid progress on the upcoming Film City campus, expected to be fully planned and ready within 4-5 months.
“Modi ji ka kaam karne ka tareeka hai – speed ke saath, scale par, aur clear scope ke saath,” Vaishnaw said, drawing applause.
The inauguration, he added, marks a critical first step in preparing India’s youth for the creative jobs of the future. The Union Minister recently also announced a $1 billion fund to boost the India creators' economy.
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