India has emerged as global creative powerhouse due to top talent, tech: EY

Time of India

03-05-2025

India is no longer merely a consumer of content—it is fast emerging as a global creative powerhouse, driven by a deep talent pool, a rich cultural legacy, rapid technological adoption, and expanding infrastructure, according to the EY report titled "A Studio Called India."
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India's role in
global media infrastructure
is also expanding, according to the report, with more than 1,580 Global Capability Centers (GCCs), including close to 50 in M&E. The report was released at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025.
The growth of Media Capability Centers (MCCs) is enabling specialised services like content localisation, compliance, immersive production, and large-scale content management.
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Indian studios have contributed to major global films including Avengers: Endgame, The Jungle Book, Life of Pi, Frozen, The Lion King, and Madagascar, showcasing their high-end
VFX and animation capabilities
.
The report notes that animation and VFX costs in India are 40% to 60% lower than in the West, supported by a workforce of around 260,000 skilled professionals.
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As per the report, global programming spend is expected to increase by 5.3% in 2025 to $206 billion, driven by streaming giants like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. India is positioned to play a larger role in this expansion across both subscription and ad-based models.
In the gaming sector, the report notes that India had 488 million online gamers in 2024, predominantly using mobile devices. The country has over 1,900 game development companies employing approximately 66,000 people.
Indian firms support global players such as EA, Zynga, Ubisoft, Rockstar International, Scopely, and Flutter, while homegrown studios like Gamesberry Labs, Kiddopia, PlaySimple, Moonfrog Labs, PlayGames24x7, Dream Sports, and Mayhem are building their own titles for domestic and international markets.
According to the EY report, Indian studios are adopting AI for a variety of use cases, many of which are in mainstream deployment. These include content creation, personalization, pricing, and marketing.
India's diverse market has become a testing ground for Big Tech to pilot AI-powered innovations. Studios are also deploying virtual production, real-time rendering, metaverse technologies, AR, VR, blockchain, and automation to deliver immersive, global-standard experiences.
The report identifies experiential content—like virtual events, holographic concerts, and theme parks—as a growing segment for VFX. While requiring specialized talent, India is positioned to train and supply this workforce for international projects.
India's educational infrastructure is also evolving, with institutions such as FTII Pune, SRFTI Kolkata, the National Institute of Design, Whistling Woods, and the ABAI AVGC Centre of Excellence developing talent for the media sector.
The report mentions government support through initiatives like a proposed Indian Institute of Creative Technologies in Mumbai and a $1 billion fund for content creators.
India has over 7,000 creative training institutes, 37 VFX academies, more than 16 colleges offering gaming courses, and over 20 extended reality (XR) programs.
Media-focused MBA programs from institutions like MICA and Whistling Woods are also helping bridge the gap between business and creativity.
According to the report, India has transformed into one of the world's largest content production ecosystems, generating over 200,000 hours of original content annually.
This includes 1,600 films, 2,600 hours of premium OTT programming, 190,000 hours of television content, and 20,000 original songs.
The formal media and entertainment (M&E) sector employs 2.8 million professionals, and the country has around 400,000 digital creators, each with more than 10,000 followers.
The report highlights India's vast linguistic and cultural diversity—comprising 22 official languages and over 1,600 dialects—as a key enabler of storytelling that connects with audiences globally.
Indian content is now distributed to over 100 countries via theatrical releases and major OTT platforms such as Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+.
Indian content continues to earn global recognition. According to the report, in 2024, Indian content featured in Prime Video's global Top 10 every week. On Netflix, eight out of ten Indian series ranked in the Global Top 10 for non-English programming.
Films like Kanguva and Aadujeevitham were shortlisted for the 97th Academy Awards, while The Elephant Whisperers won an Oscar. The song 'Naatu Naatu' also made history, becoming the first Indian track to win a Golden Globe and the second to win an Oscar for Best Original Song.