IICT, Pioneering Creative Tech Education in India
Mumbai, India’s cultural capital, has become home to the country’s first-ever Indian Institute of Creative Technology (IICT), a landmark initiative designed to revolutionize creative tech education and skill development.
Union Minister for Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, inaugurated the campus at the NFDC premises in Mumbai, calling it a “creative IIT” poised to transform the landscape of India’s content creation and digital media sectors.
“This is a new kind of institution for a new India. Just like IITs and IIMs transformed engineering and management education, IICT will do the same for creative technology,” Vaishnaw remarked during the ceremony attended by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Minister for IT Ashish Shelar, and senior government officials.
A Creative Powerhouse Backed by Industry Giants
At its core, IICT embodies a deep integration between industry and academia. The institute has forged partnerships with global technology leaders including Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Adobe, and WPP.
This collaboration ensures that students are trained on cutting-edge tools and platforms, aligning India’s creative talent with international standards.
Seventeen industry-backed programs are already under development, covering areas like VFX, post-production, gaming, animation, and even “train-the-trainer” modules to scale expertise across the country.
Courses and Infrastructure for the Future
IICT Mumbai will offer a range of programs—from short-term three-month certification modules to comprehensive two-year advanced programs
catering to students, professionals, and aspiring entrepreneurs alike.
The ₹400 crore budget allocated for IICT includes provisions for incubation labs, collaborative spaces, and advanced training facilities, with future phases aiming to create a national network of IICT campuses.
“This is about building employability in future skills,” Vaishnaw emphasized.
A Vision Beyond Mumbai
Calling Mumbai the “cultural and creative capital of India,” Vaishnaw said it was only fitting for the city to host India’s first IICT campus.
“The first institution dedicated to creative tech had to be in Mumbai. But this is just the beginning. IICT will expand across India and grow into a national network for creative excellence,” he added.
A second IICT campus has already been announced for Film City, with construction underway.
Why IICT Matters
As India emerges as a global content creation hub, IICT aims to bridge the talent gap in areas like gaming, animation, and visual effects—sectors projected to see exponential growth in the coming decade. With its emphasis on industry-led learning, IICT is positioned to empower India’s youth to take on the global creative economy.
