Bengaluru, Feb 2 (IANS) The Karnataka government, in association with the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI) and Startup Karnataka, on Monday announced the 7th edition of Bengaluru GAFX 2026, Asia’s largest annual conference and exhibition for animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, XR, and immersive and interactive content.
Scheduled to be held from February 27 to March 1 at Hotel Lalit Ashok in Bengaluru, the event will bring together creators, studios, technologists, investors, and industry leaders from across the global media and entertainment ecosystem.
In his remarks at the curtain raiser event, state Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science and Technology Minister Priyank Kharge said: “For over a decade, Bengaluru GAFX has been a key catalyst for India’s AVGC sector—bringing together talent, technology, policy and global opportunity on a single platform.”
“‘Evolution Reloaded’ reflects Karnataka’s belief that the next phase of AVGC growth will be driven by the convergence of deep technology and human creativity. GAFX embodies our ambition to position Karnataka as a global hub for creative technology and next-generation storytelling,” he added.
Electronics, IT, BT and Science and Technology Secretary Dr Manjula N. said: “Bengaluru GAFX reflects Karnataka’s long-term commitment to building a future-ready AVGC ecosystem across the entire value chain—from skilling and infrastructure to startups and global market access. Through focused initiatives such as the AVGC-XR Policy and the Centre of Excellence, we are translating policy intent into measurable industry impact and global partnerships.”
ABAI President Biren Ghose said: “Bengaluru GAFX, in partnership with the Government of Karnataka, has reshaped how the world values India’s creative talent. ‘Evolution Reloaded’ is our declaration that the future of storytelling belongs to humans who can command new intelligence, including AI. GAFX is where that future takes shape.”
Karnataka is at the forefront of India’s ‘Orange Economy’, where creativity, culture and cutting-edge technology converge. Backed by Bengaluru’s deep talent pool in digital content, gaming, VFX, XR, AI and real-time technologies, the state contributes close to 20 per cent of the country’s media and entertainment industry, with 300-plus AVGC-XR studios and a workforce of around 15,000 professionals, supported by a strong freelance and gig ecosystem, he said.
–IANS
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