Karnataka curated high-quality deal flow for AVGC sector, backed by global investors: Priyank Kharge

Karnataka enhances AVGC sector with high-quality deal flow and global investor engagement, fostering innovation and women's participation.

Karnataka has curated a high-quality deal flow for India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) sector, an integral part of the Orange Economy, and aligned it with a large community of global investors, stated Priyank Kharge, Minister of Electronics, IT & BT and RDPR, here on Friday, on the sidelines of GAFX 2026, State’s annual exposition for the industry.

“By curating high-quality deal flow and aligning it with serious investors, we are strengthening the foundation of Karnataka’s innovation economy,’’ he said.

The Government of Karnataka, through the Department of Electronics, IT & BT, hosted an Investor Pitch Platform at Bengaluru GAFX-2026, creating a structured bridge between capital providers and high-potential startups across the AVGC-XR and emerging technology ecosystem, he said.

Platforms like the Investor Pitch at GAFX, ensured that AVGC, AI, and emerging technology startups in the state were not just building products, rather they were building globally competitive enterprises, he added.

The focus on women in animation, at the venue, brought in artists, studio professionals, entrepreneurs, policymakers and a large number of students for a dialogue on strengthening women’s participation in the AVGC-XR ecosystem. The mixer enabled curated mentor roundtables, structured networking, alongside a live Opportunity Wall featuring job openings, internships and collaboration pathways.

According to Manjula N., Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT & BT and S&T, women’s participation in animation is currently less than 25%, significantly lower than in several other sectors. “Yet women bring a distinct creative edge and are exceptionally well-suited to thrive in this industry. The opportunities within the creative economy are immense, and enabling and facilitating women’s contribution will be a priority takeaway from today’s engagement,’’ she said.