WaveX, the dedicated startup accelerator platform under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (MIB)’s WAVES initiative, has announced the launch of seven new incubation centers across India.

These centers, according to an official statement yesterday, are aimed at nurturing startups in the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics) and XR (Extended Reality) sectors, and mark the first dedicated accelerator-cum-incubator program for these creative industries in the country.

The new centers will be established at prestigious institutions, including the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) campuses in Delhi, Jammu, Dhenkanal (Odisha) and Kottayam (Kerala), as well as in Amravati (Maharashtra), Pune (Film and Television Institute of India, FTII) and Kolkata (Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute).

These centers, the statement added, will join the existing flagship incubator at the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) in Mumbai, further strengthening WaveX’s nationwide presence.

With the addition of these seven centers, WaveX offers startups access to state-of-the-art facilities, including film production and game development resources, VR/AR testing kits, and high-performance workstations. The IICT Incubator, in particular, boasts cutting-edge infrastructure such as an 8K Red Raptor camera, 4K HDR preview theatres, virtual production stages with LED walls, and photogrammetry systems, providing startups with world-class resources to develop and test their AVGC and XR content.

WaveX’s incubation programme provides comprehensive support to selected startups, including access to co-working spaces, AV/digital labs, and high-speed internet. The incubators also offer advanced tools such as hosting servers, cloud credits, and AI compute services, essential for developing content in gaming, OTT, animation, VFX, and other immersive media.

Startups will also benefit from mentorship by industry experts, masterclasses, investor connect sessions, and structured boot camps to refine their business models and products.

Beyond infrastructure and mentorship, WaveX fosters global exposure by offering opportunities for startups to showcase their innovations at prestigious international events like VivaTech in Paris and the Game Developers Conference in the USA. These startups will also benefit from strategic connections with media units under the MIB such as Doordarshan and All India Radio, with priority given to projects outsourced by these units.