Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has proposed, via the Union Budget 2026-27, a targeted support for India’s experience-led and creative sectors, with a focus on building skills, institutions and digital infrastructure.
Sitharaman has announced government backing for the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai, to set up AVGC (animation, visual effects, gaming and comics) content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 5,000 colleges across the country.
Furthermore, Sitharaman mentioned that the AVGC sector will call for over two million professionals by 2030.
The initiative, Nirmala Sitharaman said, is aimed at strengthening early exposure to creative technologies and expanding the talent pipeline for India’s fast-growing digital content and gaming industries.
Design education and university clusters
She also announced the establishment of a new National Institute of Design in eastern India, to be selected through a challenge route.
In higher education, the Centre will support states in creating five university townships near major industrial and logistics corridors. These clusters will house universities, colleges, research institutions, skill centres and residential facilities, with the aim of closer academia–industry integration.
Tourism placed at the centre of jobs strategy
“The tourism sector has the potential to play a large role in employment generation, forex earnings and expanding the local economy,” Sitharaman said in her speech.
To support this, the government will set up a National Institute of Hospitality by upgrading the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology.
At the grassroots level, a pilot programme to upskill 10,000 tourist guides across 20 iconic destinations has been proposed. The 12-week hybrid training course will be conducted in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Management.
Digital and eco-tourism initiatives
“A national destination digital knowledge grid will be established to digitally document all places of significance, cultural, spiritual and heritage,” Sitharaman said in her speech. The initiative is expected to generate employment for local researchers, historians, content creators and technology partners.
“India has the potential and opportunity to offer world-class trekking and hiking experience,” Sitharaman said. The government plans to develop sustainable trekking and hiking trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats and Pudigai Malai in the Western Ghats. Wildlife-focused initiatives include turtle trails along nesting sites in Odisha, Karnataka and Kerala, and bird-watching trails around Pulicat Lake.
Economic Survey flags rise of the ‘Orange Economy’
The policy thrust is in line with the Economic Survey 2025–26, which stated that India’s experience-led sectors, live entertainment, tourism, digital media and urban leisure, are part of the emerging ‘Orange Economy’.
As per the economic survey 2025-26, India’s concert and live entertainment industry crossed Rs 10,000 crore in 2024, with spillover benefits for airlines, hotels, restaurants and urban transport.