media startups

WaveX, the startup accelerator platform under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s WAVES program, has unveiled seven new incubation centers across India, strengthening its commitment to nurturing startups in Media, Entertainment, and the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) ecosystem. This expansion builds on the flagship incubator at the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, marking India’s first dedicated nationwide incubation-cum-acceleration initiative tailored for this sector. New Incubation Hubs The fresh incubation centers will be hosted at: Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi IIMC, Jammu IIMC, Dhenkanal (Odisha) IIMC, Kottayam (Kerala) IIMC, Amravati (Maharashtra) Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata With this network, startups will have access to cutting-edge facilities for film production, game design, editing, and immersive content creation. IICT Mumbai already boasts world-class infrastructure, including an 8K Red Raptor Vista Vision camera, Dolby Atmos-enabled 4K HDR preview theatre, high-performance Alienware workstations, LED-wall-based virtual production stages, photogrammetry systems, sound and color-mix studios, 4K HDR editing suites, VR testing kits, and next-gen gaming consoles. Comprehensive Startup Support WaveX incubatees will benefit from: Co-working zones, digital/AV labs, and professional studios High-speed connectivity, hosting servers, AI compute services, and cloud credits (AWS/Google) Sandbox testing across OTT, gaming, VFX, animation, and immersive media Expert mentorship, global masterclasses, and curated investor-connect sessions Partnerships with IITs, T-Hub, and other incubators for cross-learning opportunities Additionally, selected startups may collaborate with I&B Ministry media wings such as Doordarshan, AIR, FTII, PIB, Publications Division, New Media Wing, and EMCC, with the possibility of receiving priority in outsourced projects. Application Details Batch Size: 15 startups per center Fee: ₹8,500 + GST per month Eligibility: Media, entertainment, and AVGC-XR startups preferred How to Apply: Submit applications at wavex.wavesbazaar.com under the “Apply for Incubation” option. Source: PIB