The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has launched the next phase of its ambitious Create in India Challenge (CIC) Season 2, inviting industry associations, organisations and institutions from across India's media and entertainment (M&E) sector to conceptualise and execute innovative, industry-led challenges ahead of the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2027. The initiative is aimed at discovering creative talent, strengthening industry-academia collaboration and positioning India as a global creative powerhouse.

A major highlight of this edition is the Ministry's decision to provide a one-time grant of up to ₹1 crore for selected challenges, subject to technical, financial and outcome-based evaluation. Alongside the financial support, MIB has also launched a unified online portal that promises a transparent, merit-based proposal selection process.

A Bigger Push for India's Creative Economy

The Create in India Challenge has emerged as one of the flagship initiatives under WAVES, the government's global platform dedicated to the media and entertainment industry. While the first edition successfully brought together industry stakeholders through 33 challenges, Season 2 is expected to scale up significantly.

According to the Ministry, more than 50 industry-led challenges are planned this time, with a strong emphasis on youth participation, innovation and skill development. The expanded programme reflects the government's broader vision of transforming India into a global hub for content creation while creating new employment opportunities across the creative economy.

The initiative aligns closely with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Create in India, Create for the World," encouraging Indian creators to develop globally competitive intellectual property while nurturing domestic talent across emerging sectors.

Focus on Emerging Technologies and New-Age Media

Unlike conventional talent competitions, the Create in India Challenge is designed as an industry-driven platform where organisations themselves propose and execute challenges relevant to their domains.

Season 2 will particularly encourage proposals in rapidly evolving areas such as:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

• AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Extended Reality)

• Digital and Social Media

• Online Gaming

• E-Sports

• Animation and VFX

• Films

• Broadcasting

• Music and Dance

• Comics

• Virtual and Augmented Reality

• Other emerging creative technology sectors

By expanding into AI-driven creativity and immersive technologies, the Ministry is signalling that India's future media ecosystem will extend far beyond traditional filmmaking and broadcasting.

Industry observers believe this broader scope reflects changing global trends, where creative industries increasingly intersect with technology, gaming, virtual production and artificial intelligence.

Industry to Lead, Government to Enable

One of the defining aspects of the programme is its industry-led, government-supported framework.

Instead of designing competitions centrally, MIB has invited organisations with domain expertise to conceptualise challenges, conduct mentoring programmes, organise training workshops, identify talent and execute the initiatives independently, while receiving government support where eligible.

This collaborative approach aims to ensure that challenges remain aligned with evolving industry requirements rather than following a one-size-fits-all model.

According to the Ministry, the selected proposals should demonstrate:

• Strong grassroots outreach

• Structured mentoring and upskilling programmes

• Clear outcome orientation

• Innovation and originality

• Capacity-building initiatives

• Sustainable industry partnerships

The government's role, therefore, shifts from organiser to facilitator, allowing industry stakeholders to directly shape India's next generation of creative professionals.

Grants of Up to ₹1 Crore to Support Execution

Perhaps the biggest incentive for participating organisations is the possibility of receiving a One-Time Grant (OTG) of up to ₹1 crore.

The Ministry clarified that financial assistance will not be automatic. Instead, proposals will undergo detailed technical and financial evaluation before being selected.

Factors likely to influence funding include:

• Quality of programme design

• Innovation potential

• Measurable outcomes

• Skill development initiatives

• Financial viability

• National outreach

• Alignment with the objectives of the Create in India Challenge

Industry publications note that this funding support could significantly lower execution barriers for associations, educational institutions, startups and creative organisations seeking to launch large-scale national competitions.

Unified Digital Portal to Streamline Applications

To simplify participation and improve transparency, the Ministry has introduced a dedicated online submission portal for Season 2.

The digital platform will serve as the single interface for:

• Proposal submissions

• Evaluation

• Selection of implementing organisations

• Administrative processing

Officials say the centralised system is intended to ensure a fair, transparent and merit-based selection process while making participation easier for organisations across India.

Eligible organisations have been asked to submit their proposals by July 31, 2026, within the prescribed timeline.

Building on the Success of Season 1

The Ministry's confidence in expanding the programme stems from the encouraging response received during Create in India Challenge Season 1.

The inaugural edition featured 33 industry-led challenges, bringing together creators, institutions and industry experts across multiple media segments. The programme helped identify emerging talent while encouraging partnerships between educational institutions and industry stakeholders.

Season 2 intends to build on those learnings by placing greater emphasis on:

• Youth engagement

• Structured mentorship

• Skill enhancement

• Grassroots participation

• Industry collaboration

• Outcome-driven implementation

The expanded scale also reflects growing confidence within the Ministry that India's creative ecosystem is ready for larger, more specialised competitions spanning multiple disciplines.

Winners to be Showcased at CreatoSphere During WAVES 2027

One of the major attractions of the initiative is that successful participants will eventually be showcased during CreatoSphere, a dedicated platform at WAVES 2027.

The showcase is expected to provide national and international visibility to winning creators, innovative projects and participating organisations.

Rather than functioning solely as an awards ceremony, CreatoSphere is envisioned as a networking and business platform where creators can interact with investors, production houses, technology companies and global media leaders.

The exposure could open new commercial opportunities for participants while helping Indian creative talent reach international markets.

Strengthening India's Global Media Ambitions

The latest announcement comes as India continues to position itself as one of the fastest-growing media and entertainment markets globally.

Government initiatives such as WAVES are increasingly being viewed as platforms to strengthen India's presence across films, broadcasting, animation, gaming, digital media and immersive technologies.

Industry experts have noted that encouraging private organisations to design and execute specialised challenges could result in more relevant skill development programmes compared to centrally designed initiatives. It also allows industry leaders to directly identify future talent aligned with evolving market needs.

The inclusion of AI, gaming and AVGC-XR further indicates the government's intention to prepare India's workforce for emerging creative industries that are expected to drive significant growth over the coming decade.

A Strategic Step Towards 'Create in India'

With expanded funding support, a transparent digital application process and greater industry ownership, the Create in India Challenge Season 2 represents one of the government's most comprehensive efforts to nurture India's creative ecosystem.

By combining public support with private-sector expertise, the initiative seeks to create a pipeline of skilled creators capable of competing on global platforms while strengthening India's media and entertainment industry from the grassroots upward.

As proposals begin flowing in from across the country, the programme is expected to attract participation from established media companies, educational institutions, startups, technology firms and creative organisations eager to contribute to India's growing creative economy.

The selected challenges will ultimately shape the road to WAVES 2027, where the country's most promising creators will have an opportunity to showcase their talent before a global audience, reinforcing India's ambition to become a worldwide hub for media, entertainment and digital innovation.

With input from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

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