Kamal Ghorui
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a post-Budget webinar on education, skills and university townships as part of discussions around initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2026-27. The conversation is scheduled for March 9, 2026.The webinar is titled “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas – Fulfilling Aspirations of People: Education, Skills and University Townships.” It is being organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education.According to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the event will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, academia, startups and students. The aim is to discuss how proposals announced in the budget can be implemented on the ground.
Focus on AVGC creator economy
The inaugural session is scheduled for 11:30 AM on March 9. During the session, the Prime Minister is expected to outline the broader vision behind the budget push for the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics creator economy. The idea is to combine creativity, culture and technology to support growth, employment and India’s soft power.One part of the webinar will focus on a specific budget proposal. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting will host a breakout session on “AVGC Content Creator Labs in Schools and Colleges.”According to the press release, the Union Budget has proposed setting up AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 schools and 500 higher educational institutions. These labs are meant to support creative learning and help build skills linked to animation, visual effects, gaming and comics. ANI reports that the initiative is aimed at strengthening India’s AVGC ecosystem and building a pipeline of skilled creators for what the government calls the Orange Economy.
Breakout session and panel discussion
The breakout session is scheduled from 12:20 PM to 01:50 PM. It will be moderated by Chaitanya Chinchlikar, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Whistling Woods International.A keynote address will be delivered by Sanjay Jaju, Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. He is expected to outline why the government is focusing on creator labs in educational institutions.The session will also include a panel discussion with officials and industry representatives. The panel is expected to feature Dheeraj Sahu, Additional Secretary at the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ashish Kulkarni, Chairman of the FICCI AVGC Forum, Rajan Navani, Founder and Group Chief Executive Officer of JetSynthesys, and Sonam Bhagat, Chief Executive Officer of Vygr. A student representative from Indian Institute of Creative Technologies will also take part.The discussion will also include interventions from industry figures such as Munjal Shroff of Graphiti Multimedia, Biren Ghose of Technicolor Group, Manvendra Shukul of Lakshya Digital, Mala Sharma of Adobe India and Preeti Vyas of Amar Chitra Katha. Two young volunteers from MyBharat are also expected to participate.
Closing session and participation
The outcomes of the discussions will be summarised in the closing session. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Information and Broadcasting, will deliver a special address at 05:25 PM.Stakeholders including educational institutions, industry bodies, startups, creators, students and parents are encouraged to join the webinar and take part in the discussions, the release states.The government hopes the conversations will lead to practical steps for implementing the AVGC Content Creator Labs initiative and expanding creative and digital skills among young Indians.(with ANI inputs)
