WaveX & IICT Mumbai Launch AVGC-XR Incubator To Nurture Media Startups

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (I&B), in partnership with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) Mumbai, has introduced a specialised startup incubator for India’s fast-growing AVGC-XR sector—comprising audio, visual, gaming, comics and extended reality.

The Ministry launched the programme under the WaveX accelerator platform to build a robust ecosystem for media tech entrepreneurs.

The incubator will offer selected startups structured mentorship, access to advanced infrastructure, strategic guidance and the opportunity to pilot their ideas through government media unit partnerships.

Further, the aim is to help ventures move from concept to commercial success, focusing on market readiness and investor engagement.

The programme follows a two-phase model. The initial phase provides intensive business support—covering product development, fundraising, branding, media regulations and pitching strategies.

Startups will benefit from sandbox testing in sectors like OTT, animation, VR, VFX, publishing and post-production.

The second phase shifts to global showcasing through the WaveX Waves Bazaar platform.

This phase includes lighter mentorship, investor access and strategic industry partnerships, helping startups scale internationally.

World-Class Infrastructure and Learning

Incubated startups will be housed at IICT’s Mumbai campus and will gain access to state-of-the-art co-working spaces, AV/digital labs, cloud credits from AWS and Google, high-speed internet, hosting servers, and upcoming India AI compute services.

The initiative will also feature masterclasses by tech leaders from Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, along with policy clinics, investor connect sessions and bootcamps.

Furthermore, WaveX will oversee the incubator’s operations, with quarterly reviews and guidance from the Ministry of I&B.

The first cohort will comprise 15 startups, each paying a monthly fee of Rs 8,500 plus GST.

Startups can apply for this batch online at wavex.wavesbazaar.com until 7 September.

Meanwhile, Union I&B Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw launched IICT in July as a Section 8 company, with support from the Central and Maharashtra governments and industry partners like FICCI and CII.

It aims to build a strong talent pool for India’s creative economy and establish the country as a global hub for immersive and digital content technologies.

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