The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, hosted the first edition of the IICT Esports Premier League (IEPL) on February 8, underscoring the growing emphasis on Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) as a key pillar of India’s emerging Orange Economy.
The esports league aligns with recent policy momentum for the creative technologies sector. In the Union Budget presented earlier this month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced an allocation of ₹250 crore for talent development in the AVGC sector. The allocation includes support for IICT to establish AVGC content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges across the country, aimed at building a robust and future-ready talent pipeline for creative technologies.
IICT is a Government of India Centre of Excellence for AVGC-XR (Extended Reality), modelled on the IIT–IIM framework, and has been backed by a budgetary allocation of ₹400 crore for its establishment and operations.
Students and gamers from across the country gathered at IICT to participate in IEPL, which combined national online qualifiers with on-campus LAN finals. The league featured popular competitive titles such as Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and Valorant, alongside open-access formats including FIFA, Real Cricket 24, Hitwicket, Cosmic Race and Beat Saber. The event drew more than 1,000 students and visitors from over 20 colleges nationwide, including Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology and VIT, among others.
IEPL was supported by several industry partners. Hitwicket and Cosmic Race contributed through cash prize sponsorships across select titles, while CyberPowerPC supported participant engagement with gift vouchers, branded merchandise and hardware-focused giveaways. Xwall.io delivered a phygital sports experience by integrating physical movement with digital gameplay through interactive installations. Cineon Broadcast India Limited supported the event as the technology partner.
Reflecting on the policy momentum, Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, CEO, Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, said, “Hon’ble Finance Minister’s announcement highlights the growing importance of the Orange Economy in India’s growth story. Through initiatives like content creator labs, we are enabling deeper collaboration between education and industry while opening new career pathways for young talent. IEPL is a strong example of how such platforms can prepare students for the future of creative and digital careers.”
Professional gamer Gaurang Palav, who plays for GodLike and represented India at the 2023 World Championship, where he finished as the second runner-up, attended the event and said, “Platforms like IEPL are vital for visibility, learning and understanding how the esports and creative tech industries work in India. It gives young gamers exposure and confidence in their potential careers. It is encouraging to see the government pushing a creator-driven economy.”
IICT Esports Premier League will be organised annually as part of broader efforts to integrate esports, creative technologies and industry-aligned skilling into India’s education and economic landscape.
