- Why in news
- On 26 October 2026, PIB issued a backgrounder on immersive technologies (VR, AR, MR) and the AVGC-XR push, ahead of the ESTIC-2026 conclave on 27–29 October 2026.
- What it is
- Immersive technologies create interactive digital experiences that blend or replace the physical world. They include Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality, together called Extended Reality (XR). In India they are promoted through the AVGC-XR framework of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, covering animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and XR.
- XR forms
- Extended Reality covers Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality. VR creates a fully digital environment. AR adds digital information over the real surroundings.
- IICT
- The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai, is the National Centre of Excellence for AVGC-XR. It was set up in 2025 on the Task Force's recommendation.
- AVGC Content Creator Labs
- Union Budget 2026-27 allocated ₹250 crore for labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges. IICT is the nodal agency.
- AVGC Promotion Task Force
- The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting constituted it in April 2022. It brings together industry, academia and Government.
- GENESIS
- MeitY's scheme supports startups in Tier-II and Tier-III cities. It was launched in 2022 and aims to support about 1,600 startups over five years.
Don’t confuse with VR vs AR vs MR: VR replaces the real world with a digital one. AR overlays digital information on the real world. MR lets digital objects interact with the physical surroundings.
Don’t confuse with GENESIS vs AVGC Content Creator Labs: GENESIS is a MeitY startup-support scheme. The Content Creator Labs are a Budget 2026-27 school and college initiative run through IICT under the information and broadcasting side.
Science and technology: 57 Prelims questions since 2013; most test the concept behind the news, not the news itself. In Mains, 12 news-triggered questions.
Why it matters
- Immersive tools can improve education, heritage access and city planning, and build a creative-economy export sector.
- The market is projected to grow from USD 1,259.5 million in 2023 to USD 7,818.7 million by 2030.
Problems
- Skilled talent, affordable hardware and content in Indian languages are still limited.
- Policy support is spread across the Centre and many states, with a risk of fragmented effort.
Way forward
- Coordinate Central and state AVGC-XR policies and link skilling to industry needs.
- Build indigenous technologies, research and startups so India is more than a market.
Put in your answer
Market projection: India's immersive technology market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 29.8 per cent to 2030.
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Varanasi 3D planning: Digital twin mapping already supports city planning, as in the Varanasi Urban 3D Spatial Planning project.
- 2019Prelims Q91Which statements correctly distinguish AR from VR in entertainment
- 2024Prelims Q48Identifies metaverse: interoperable 3D virtual worlds with user property rights
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Lasting tech topic with AVGC-XR and IICT facts, but backgrounder gives no fresh decision; science-tech is 17% of Prelims news questions, mostly on concepts.
Worth revising until Prelims 2028: most news questions come within two years of the event.