Visitors explore games and VR on day 2 of GAFX 2026 at Lalit Ashok in Bengaluru on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.
Karnataka has curated a high-quality deal flow for India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) sector, an integral part of the Orange Economy, and aligned it with a large community of global investors, stated Priyank Kharge, Minister of Electronics, IT & BT and RDPR, here on Friday, on the sidelines of GAFX 2026, State’s annual exposition for the industry.
“By curating high-quality deal flow and aligning it with serious investors, we are strengthening the foundation of Karnataka’s innovation economy,’’ he said.
The Government of Karnataka, through the Department of Electronics, IT & BT, hosted an Investor Pitch Platform at Bengaluru GAFX-2026, creating a structured bridge between capital providers and high-potential startups across the AVGC-XR and emerging technology ecosystem, he said.
Platforms like the Investor Pitch at GAFX, ensured that AVGC, AI, and emerging technology startups in the state were not just building products, rather they were building globally competitive enterprises, he added.
Women’s participation
The focus on women in animation, at the venue, brought in artists, studio professionals, entrepreneurs, policymakers and a large number of students for a dialogue on strengthening women’s participation in the AVGC-XR ecosystem. The mixer enabled curated mentor roundtables, structured networking, alongside a live Opportunity Wall featuring job openings, internships and collaboration pathways.
According to Manjula N., Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT & BT and S&T, women’s participation in animation is currently less than 25%, significantly lower than in several other sectors. “Yet women bring a distinct creative edge and are exceptionally well-suited to thrive in this industry. The opportunities within the creative economy are immense, and enabling and facilitating women’s contribution will be a priority takeaway from today’s engagement,’’ she said.
B.S. Srinivas, Convenor, ABAI & Co-chair, Bengaluru GAFX said, “When women creators rise, the entire AVGC-XR ecosystem becomes stronger, more innovative and globally competitive.”
Kannada & culture
The State’s cultural heritage was showcased at KalaVerse, curated in association with the Kannada and Culture Department.
On Saturday, the Karnataka Janapada Academy presented five vibrant traditional performances, bringing Karnataka’s folk traditions to the forefront of the global AVGC-XR platform.
Conceived as a bridge between tradition and the future creative economy, KalaVerse integrates Karnataka’s diverse cultural expressions with opportunities in animation, gaming, immersive media and digital storytelling.
“As we strengthen our AVGC ecosystem, it is important that our cultural depth finds expression through modern creative technologies,’’ added Ms. Manjula.
Published – March 01, 2026 12:08 am IST
