The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), in collaboration with Wacom India, will host ‘Doodle Dash’, a live drawing contest, at the IICT booth during the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) in Chennai on October 30 and 31. The contest will bring together gaming, creativity and digital art, giving participants a chance to showcase their drawing skills and win Wacom products worth over ₹1 lakh, along with other benefits.

According to an IICT press release, the initiative aims to encourage gamers, artists, students and aspiring creators to explore their creative potential while experiencing professional digital drawing technology. The engagement will also include an offer of 30% scholarships on IICT’s two-year programmes, providing aspiring creators with an opportunity to pursue careers in the animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR) sectors.

At Doodle Dash, participants will be given a drawing prompt and asked to sketch their favourite gaming character against the clock. Each round will include a fun twist, adding an element of challenge to the competition. The contest is designed to give participants a hands-on experience of Wacom’s professional drawing tools in an engaging and competitive setting.

Winners will receive Wacom products, with the first-place winner taking home a Wacom Intuos Medium with Bluetooth. The second-place winner will receive a One by Wacom Medium, while the third-place winner will win a Wacom Intuos Small. Participants will also receive IICT merchandise and goodie bags as part of the engagement.

IICT is India’s National Centre of Excellence for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality. The institute focuses on developing industry-ready talent and creating opportunities for aspiring professionals across the creative technology ecosystem. Wacom India, meanwhile, is part of the global technology company known for its digital drawing tablets, pen displays and creative tools used by artists, designers and other creative professionals.

IGDC is one of India’s leading gaming industry conferences, bringing together game developers, publishers, investors, technology companies, educators and gaming enthusiasts. Doodle Dash will add an interactive creative activity to the event, allowing participants to put their artistic skills to the test while exploring tools used in digital art and game development.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, CEO of IICT, said, “Doodle Dash brings together everything that makes the AVGC-XR ecosystem exciting: creativity, technology, gaming and the freedom to experiment. Through our collaboration with Wacom at IGDC, we want to give young creators a chance to put their imagination to work, experience professional tools and see how their creative interests can translate into careers.”

Rajiv Malik, Senior Director, Wacom India, said the initiative would give aspiring creators an opportunity to experience the company’s professional pen technology in a fun and competitive environment. He added that the collaboration with IICT reflects a shared commitment to nurturing India’s next generation of creative talent by connecting technology, education and industry.

Malik also expressed hope that the initiative would inspire more young people to explore their creativity and pursue careers in gaming and the wider AVGC-XR ecosystem.

Through Doodle Dash, IICT and Wacom India aim to bring creative technology closer to aspiring artists and gaming enthusiasts, while highlighting the opportunities available to young talent across India’s growing AVGC-XR industry.