Bengaluru, 27 Feb

Bengaluru GAFX 2025, India’s premier AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) conference opened on Thursday serving as a platform for creators, investors, and innovators to collaborate and explore new frontiers.

Organised by the Karnataka Ministry of Electronics, IT and Biotechnology, the three-day event spotlights the convergence of creativity and technology shaping the future of storytelling, gaming, and visual experiences.

The event runs until 1 March and is expected to draw over 20,000 attendees, doubling previous editions. 

"Bengaluru is the world’s top AVGC-XR hub, and Karnataka plays a pivotal role in nurturing this ecosystem," said Priyank Kharge, Karnataka’s IT and BT Minister.

This year’s edition, themed ‘Future of Immersion: Experience, Explore and Disrupt’ features a first-of-its-kind India Pavilion, showcasing AVGC talent from 12 states, along with an Investor Connect programme where 50 startups will pitch to over 25 investors.

Chairman of Bengaluru GAFX and President ABAI, Biren Ghose said that the event is expected to host the grand finale of the national e-sports championship, with top teams battling it out in a multiplayer tactical first-person shooter video game, Counter-Strike 2.

National and global collaboration in focus

The conference also highlights collaborations with global players from France, the UK, Australia, and Italy, strengthening Karnataka’s position as a key player in the global digital content economy.

Dr Ekroop Caur, Secretary, Department of ITBT that GAFX is India’s gateway to global AVGC-XR leadership. "Our vision is to transform Karnataka into the global capital of immersive content creation through strategic collaborations, policy support, and nurturing talent," she said.

Highlighting the state government's commitment in supporting the startups and global studios in the digital media sector, Priyank Kharge said that Karnataka, the first state to introduce an AVGC-XR policy in 2012, is now home to over 300 AVGC studios with more than 15,000 professionals.