Key Highlights:
- Celebrate the cinematic brilliance of Kantara with Arvind Kashyap as he reveals how subtle VFX and distinctive camera work elevated the storytelling while preserving its cultural authenticity
- A Fireside chat around Game Communities and Creative Industry by Rajan Navani from Jetline Group of Companies and Sean Hyunil Sohn from Krafton India
- A session featuring an in-depth creative and technical walkthrough behind Netflix’s hit animated series Kurukshetra by Ashish Thapar of Hitech Animation.
- A deep dive into the making of the Oscar-nominated short film Cardboard by DNEG, a session on the Oscar-nominated Lost World, and a session on the Making of Deadpool & Wolverine VFX by Prashant Nair, Framestore
- Building Superhit Character IP Franchises by Grace, Bluezoo Animation
- Showcase the creative and technical journey behind delivering high-end visual effects for the Oscar-nominated movie – “The Lost Bus” by Arnab, ILM
- Behind the scenes VFX of Saare Jahan Se Accha by Phantom FX
- Sessions that highlight India’s rich narrative heritage as a source of global content creation in “Making of an IP: The Wonderful Adventures of Suppandi,” by Zebu Animation, “Making of Mary Margaret Road Grade,” and “Indian Mythology: A Treasure Trove of Stories.”
- Making of George Martin’s Mary Margaret Road Grader by Saffronic
- Making of animated feature Stitch Head by Assemblage Studios
Bengaluru, India, 27th February 2026 : Bengaluru GAFX 2026, the annual conference and exhibition for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, XR, and immersive and interactive content, commenced today at Hotel Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru. The three-day summit, running from February 27 to March 1, marks the 7th edition of the flagship event and reinforces Karnataka’s position as a driving force in India’s expanding AVGC-XR ecosystem.
With the theme “Evolution Reloaded,” this year’s edition marks the next phase of growth for the AVGC industry, where human creativity converges with artificial intelligence, real-time technologies, immersive media, and next-generation storytelling tools. GAFX 2026 celebrates this transformation by recharging skills, redefining production pipelines, and reimagining what is possible across animation, VFX, gaming, comics, XR, and AI-driven creativity.
The grand inauguration was attended by Shri. Siddaramaiah, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka; Shri. D. K. Shivakumar, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka; Shri. Priyank Kharge, Hon’ble Minister for Rural Development & Panchayat Raj and Information Technology & Biotechnology; Rizwan Arshad, Member of Legislative Assembly; and Sharath Bachegowda, Chairman of KEONICS, along with senior officials from the Government of Karnataka and the ABAI team.
Dignitaries on the dais included Dr. N. Manjula, IAS, Secretary to the Government, Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology; Rahul Sharanappa Sankanur, IAS, Director, Department of Electronics, IT, BT & S&T; Rajan Navani, President IDGS and Founder & CEO of Jetsynthesys; Marc Lamy, Consul General of France in Bengaluru; Hilary McGeachy, Consul General of Australia in Bengaluru; Chandru Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner & HM Deputy Trade Commissioner for South Asia – United Kingdom; and Ashish Kulkarni, Founder & CEO, Punnaryug Artivision Pvt. Ltd., reflecting strong government, diplomatic and industry participation.
Addressing the gathering, Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka, “It is a matter of great pride for me to inaugurate the 7th edition of the Bengaluru Effects, Games, Animation and Visual Effects Conference, ‘Evolution Reloaded.’ Bengaluru is not just the technology capital of India; it is a city where creativity blends seamlessly with engineering and innovation attracts investment. The AVGC-XR sector has emerged as a powerful new frontier, transforming the way we engage with stories, culture, education, and governance in the digital age. Karnataka led the way as the first state to introduce a dedicated AVGC policy, and we continue to reinforce that commitment through incentives, skill initiatives, Centres of Excellence, and strong industry collaborations. Our efforts are now extending beyond Bengaluru to emerging cities to ensure inclusive and regionally balanced growth. It has the potential to create 20 lakh jobs in the next five years across design, coding, storytelling, music, motion capture, AI modelling, and production management. Our roadmap is focused on nurturing future-ready talent, enhancing production ecosystems, promoting original intellectual property rooted in our cultural heritage, decentralizing growth, and expanding global partnerships. By embracing innovation and responsibly leveraging Artificial Intelligence, we are determined to position Karnataka as a global leader in next-generation storytelling and immersive digital experiences.”
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, D. K. Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, said, “Karnataka has consistently led from the front in the AVGC sector, and we were the first in Asia to introduce a dedicated policy for it in 2016, recognizing the immense potential of the orange economy well before it became a national focus. Bengaluru, India’s Silicon Valley, today stands as a global innovation hub with nearly 875 GCCs, supported by a strong ecosystem and a steady annual output of 1.5 lakh skilled IT professionals and engineers. Our AVGC sector is growing at 25–30% annually, has attracted over ₹2,000 crore in investments, and holds the potential to create 1.5 lakh jobs. The government is fully committed to supporting innovation, R&D, and talent development, while ensuring true speed of businesses beyond single-window clearances. We are focusing on gaming, visual effects, comics, extended reality, and the rapidly growing film industry. By 2028, we aim to train 50,000 students and create 13,000 high-quality jobs. With 6.5 lakh employees being trained in generative AI, we are confident that technology will create new opportunities, just as computers once did. I call upon industry, academia, students, and investors to join us in strengthening Karnataka’s leadership in the global creative technology revolution.”
Talking about the GAFX 2026, Dr. N. Manjula, IAS, Secretary to the Government, Department of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology, and Science & Technology, said, “Today, Karnataka stands at the center of India’s rapidly expanding orange economy, with the AVGC industry poised to grow from $2 billion to $25 billion by 2032. Bengaluru alone contributes 20% of India’s AVGC output, supported by over 300 studios and thousands of skilled professionals. We have evolved from an outsourcing destination to a creator of globally acclaimed original content, powered by cutting-edge technologies like AR, VR, XR, CGI, and AI. Through our AVGC Policy 3.0, built on skilling, innovation, infrastructure, and startup support, we are strengthening the entire ecosystem. Over the next three
days, GAFX 2026 will foster collaboration among studios, investors, startups, and students to shape the future of India’s creative technology economy.”
Over the next three days, GAFX 2026 will host 200+ speakers across 100+ sessions, masterclasses, and workshops, with participation from leading global studios. The summit will feature keynote sessions and masterclasses by internationally acclaimed author Anand Neelakantan on mythological storytelling for modern screens; senior creative and technical leaders from Industrial Light & Magic; gaming innovators such as Shyam Deshpande from Krafton India; visionary filmmaker Suresh Eriyat of Eeksaurus; alongside making-of sessions from major Indian productions including Kantara Chapter 1, Netflix’s Kurukshetra, Mahavatar Narasimha, Dhurandhar, and Lokah.
Strong Focus on AI at GAFX 2026:
A major highlight of GAFX 2026 is its strong focus on AI and its transformative impact on animation and visual effects production. Dedicated AI tracks and curated sessions will explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping creative pipelines, from AI-assisted storyboarding and pre-visualization to generative asset creation, procedural world-building, intelligent character rigging, motion synthesis, automated rotoscoping, smart compositing, and real-time rendering acceleration. Industry experts will demonstrate how machine learning tools are reducing production timelines, optimizing resource allocation, enhancing realism, and enabling studios of all sizes to scale high-quality output for global audiences. Through real-world case studies and live demonstrations, the summit will showcase how AI-enabled workflows are redefining efficiency, cost structures, and global competitiveness in animation and VFX.
Gaming will take center stage with insights from global industry stalwarts, including Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO, Krafton India, who will share perspectives on the evolving gaming economy, India’s emergence as a strategic global market, and how AI-driven development tools and real-time engines are redefining player engagement and IP scalability. GAFX 2026 also highlights the new age of storytelling led by digital-first platforms and startups such as Pratilipi and Pocket FM, which are redefining how stories are created, distributed, and monetized for mobile-native and global audiences. Their sessions will explore how data intelligence, audience analytics, and AI-enabled content strategies are shaping serialized storytelling and enabling IP to travel seamlessly across audio, animation, gaming, comics, and immersive formats.
Karnataka today contributes close to 20% of India’s Media & Entertainment industry and is home to 300+ AVGC-XR studios and approximately 15,000 professionals, supported by a strong freelance and startup ecosystem. The state’s progressive AVGC-XR Policy 2024–2029, along with the AVGC Centre of Excellence (CoE), continues to strengthen infrastructure, global partnerships, skilling, R&D, and startup incubation across the sector.
The AVGC Centre of Excellence has executed over 200 projects across domestic and international markets and supported more than 100 startups by providing access to production-ready infrastructure, licensed software, render capacity, and mentorship. With CoE 2.0, Karnataka is expanding this ecosystem beyond Bengaluru into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, building a distributed and future-ready creative technology network.
Phase 1 World has curated, promoted, and managed GAFX 2026, in collaboration with ABAI. On the inauguration of GAFX 2026, Oum Pradutt, Founder and Managing Director, Phase 1 World, said, “We’ve been part of the GAFX journey since its first edition, watching it evolve and transform the AVGC industry. This time, we have taken on a more collaborative role with ABAI and the Government of Karnataka to elevate the experience in every dimension — be it scale, substance, or global relevance. It is time that India’s creative and technological capabilities command the attention they truly deserve, and we are merely setting the stage for this grand show.”
GAFX 2026 also features a strong B2B Investor Connect, AI-driven production showcases, Comics Street, board game launches, GAFX Art Challenges, and curated networking sessions aimed at fostering global collaborations and export opportunities.
Over the years, Bengaluru GAFX has hosted leading global brands and studios such as Walt Disney Animation, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks Animation, Netflix, and Rockstar Games, further strengthening Bengaluru’s position as a global creative technology hub.
With thousands of attendees expected over the three-day Bengaluru GAFX 2026 summit, “Evolution Reloaded” sets the stage for India’s next leap in the Orange Economy, where culture, creativity, and innovative technology converge.