I&B Ministry’s WaveX platform announces the launch of 7 new incubation centres to support Media, Entertainment and AVGC-XR Sector Startups

WaveX, the dedicated startup accelerator platform under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s WAVES initiative, has announced the launch of seven new incubation centers across India, in addition to the existing facility at the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai. This marks the first time that a dedicated accelerator-cum-incubator program has been rolled out specifically for startups in the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics) and XR (Extended Reality) domains.

The newly announced centers will be established at the following institutions:

1. Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), Delhi
2. IIMC, Jammu
3. IIMC, Dhenkanal, Odisha
4. IIMC, Kottayam, Kerala
5. IIMC, Amravati, Maharashtra
6. Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, Maharashtra
7. Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata, West Bengal

With launch of these incubation networks, startups will gain access to advanced facilities for film production, game development, editing, and testing through IICT, FTII, SRFTI, and other partner incubators. The flagship IICT Incubator, Mumbai is equipped with world-class infrastructure such as an 8K Red Raptor Vista Vision camera, a 4K HDR preview theatre with Dolby Atmos, high-performance Alienware workstations, a state-of-the-art virtual production stage with LED walls, photogrammetry systems, professional sound and color-mix theatres, 4K HDR edit suites, VR testing kits, and the latest gaming consoles.

These facilities enable startups to design, develop, and validate content in film, gaming, and immersive media at global standards. Startups under WaveX will be able to access these resources both on-site and through digital platforms. The participating startups will also gain opportunities for international exposure at prestigious global startup events such as VivaTech (Paris) and Game Developers Conference (USA).

Facilities and Support:

The selected startups will get access to Incubation facilities, Industry Connect, Government connect both central and state, Funding support, Sales and Marketing mentorship etc. The new centers will provide the same infrastructure and incubation facilities as the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, ensuring uniform access to high-quality incubation, infrastructure and mentorship nationwide.

The participating startups at each incubation center will be provided with:

• Co-working spaces, AV/Digital labs, and studios (green rooms, photo/video production facilities)
• High-speed LAN/Wi-Fi, hosting servers, cloud credits (AWS/Google), and India AI compute services
• Sandbox testing opportunities in OTT, VFX, VR, gaming, animation, publishing, and post-production
• Structured mentorship and advisory support from global leaders and industry experts
• Masterclasses, focused bootcamps, policy clinics, and investor connect sessions

Further, partnerships with IITs, T-Hub, and other established incubators are being developed to provide expanded learning opportunities and access to wider innovation ecosystems. Startups incubating under WaveX will also gain opportunities to work closely with media units under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting such as Doordarshan, All India Radio, Film and Television Institute of India, Press Information Bureau, Publications Division, New Media Wing, and Electronic Media Monitoring Centre. Selected startups may also be given priority in projects outsourced by these media units.

Application Process

Applications for the upcoming cohort are now open. Interested startups may apply by visiting wavex.wavesbazaar.com, navigating to the dashboard,  selecting the apply for incubation option and providing the preferred incubation center.

15 will be selected for the first batch at each location. Monthly Fee is ₹8,500 + GST per startup. Startups in the Media-Entertainment and AVGC-XR sectors will be given preference.

About WaveX

WaveX is the startup accelerator platform under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s WAVES initiative, created to nurture innovation in media, entertainment, and creative technologies. Through its network of incubators, WaveX provides infrastructure, mentorship, and global market access to empower India’s next-generation creators and entrepreneurs.

WaveX’s incubation model operates in two phases:

Active Phase: Intensive support in business modelling, product development, branding, fundraising, and media regulations.

Passive Phase: Lighter mentorship with global showcasing opportunities through Waves Bazaar and ongoing investor/industry engagement.

WaveX aims to create a thriving ecosystem for disruptive media innovations and differs from traditional incubators and accelerators in that, it brings unreal into reality by supporting early age ventures based on potential and not just existing products as in AVGC sector products are often at unreal stage. WaveX has been designed to nurture next-gen entrepreneurs in gaming, OTT, AI driven content creation and immersive technologies (AR/VR/XR) by providing them with industry mentorship, strategic funding access and cutting-edge infrastructure.