Can change trajectory for young talent: Orange Economy’s 20L job vision wins creator trust

India’s Orange Economy is being positioned as a major employment engine, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recognising that the sector has the potential to generate 20 lakh or 2 million new jobs in the coming years. 

During the Union Budget 2026 roadmap, she announced the creation of content creation and AVGC labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges, signalling a structural push to integrate creative skills into mainstream education. The proposed labs will focus on animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and digital content production, marking a shift from viewing creative pursuits as informal careers to recognising them as scalable economic contributors.

To anchor this vision institutionally, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had allocated ₹400 crore for the construction and establishment of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), during Waves Summit 2025.

Read: Budget 2026 pushes Orange Economy into classrooms

Union Budget 2026: Will the government back the Orange Economy?

Speaking to e4m, Vishwas Deoskar, CEO, Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), said the institute has already operationalised its core infrastructure at the NFDC campus in Mumbai. “We have immersive studios, preview theatres and high-end labs with equipment that even many private studios do not currently have. The idea is to make this level of technology accessible to students from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where such facilities would otherwise be impossible to access,” he said.

Deoskar added that IICT is working closely with more than 24 industry partners including Google, Meta, Netflix, Amazon, Adobe and Nvidia, enabling students to work on live industry projects. “These partnerships allow us to bring real-world production pipelines into the classroom. That is critical for actual job absorption rather than theoretical training,” he noted.

Beyond infrastructure, the institute is operating in, what Deoskar described, a mission mode. “The focus is on large-scale awareness through print, social and LinkedIn-led campaigns, industry forums and on-ground outreach. From FICCI and CII platforms to AVGC summits, the goal is to shift mindsets and position AVGCXR as a serious career pathway, not a niche skillset,” he said.

Creators welcome access to structured infrastructure

For creators, the government’s lab-led approach addresses long-standing gaps in access to professional infrastructure. Monisha Mehta, a fashion, beauty and lifestyle creator, said creators often end up managing production entirely on their own. “Whether it’s arranging shooting spaces or handling production during larger brand collaborations, creators do it all themselves. Access to creator studios or AVGC labs would remove many of these barriers,” she said.

Mehta added that early exposure could change the trajectory for young talent. “The government recognising the creator economy through labs in schools and colleges is a welcome step. It can help young creators start with the right resources, sharpen their skills early and build sustainable careers with confidence,” she said.

Echoing the sentiment, Brinda Shah, a beauty, travel and lifestyle creator, said the lack of accessible infrastructure has been a consistent challenge even for established creators. “While working on larger brand campaigns, I’ve often felt the need for proper studios, better filming spaces and technical support. Most creators today learn through trial and error without a structured ecosystem,” she said, adding that early access to tools could significantly improve content quality and long-term career outcomes.

At the ecosystem level, the government’s ambitions extend beyond education into full-scale incubation and production. According to filmmaker Boney Kapoor, the proposed creator ecosystem at Noida Film City is envisioned as a first-of-its-kind platform where creators move beyond institutional learning to launch careers, develop intellectual properties and build globally scalable businesses.

Anchored within the Bayview Bhutani Film City, the integrated hub will bring together filmmakers, YouTubers, gamers, musicians, podcasters and digital-first storytellers under one destination. Designed as an end-to-end incubation and production environment, the ecosystem is expected to support long-form cinema, OTT content and emerging formats such as vertical dramas and short-form episodic storytelling.

The Film City will house advanced studios, technology hubs, structured incubation labs and mentorship programmes led by industry veterans, while also offering visually distinctive production locations. The initiative aligns with the broader Make in India and Viksit Bharat vision, aiming to unlock employment, IP creation and international monetisation opportunities for Indian creators.

Industry leaders see the Budget’s focus on creative infrastructure as a recognition of the sector’s economic weight. Jag Chima, Co-founder, IPLIX Media, said the creator economy is already influencing large-scale consumer spending and employment. “India’s creator ecosystem contributes materially to GDP and jobs. Structured creator labs linked with AVGC institutes will accelerate that growth by building deeper capabilities and clearer career pathways,” he said.

Chima added that the move should be seen as future-facing infrastructure. “This is not just talent development. It is infrastructure for the future of work and digital economic growth, positioning India to lead globally in how modern creative economies scale,” he said.

With a projected 20 lakh jobs tied to the Orange Economy and institutional backing spanning schools, colleges, incubation hubs and film cities, the government’s latest push seeks to convert India’s creative energy into a formal, globally competitive economic force.