India’s premier animation and visual effects event Bengaluru GAFX 2025 raised its curtain with an enthusiastic crowd gathering at The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru for an array of interesting panels, making-of sessions, premieres of episodes and films and insightful discussions involving government officials.
This year’s theme The Future of Immersion was surrounding the transformational journey of our traditional forms of media and entertainment. Various sessions highlighted the shift towards embracing immersive experiences.
The first day of the three-day summit commenced with the lamp lighting ceremony in the presence of honourable guests: Government of Karnataka’s Department of Electronics Information Technology, Biotechnology (E,IT&Bt), and Science & Technology secretary Dr. Ekroop Caur, Bengaluru GAFX chairman and ABAI president Biren Ghose, Biocon Biologics executive chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Keonics chairman Sharath Bachegowda, Karnataka’s Information Technology and Biotechnology minister Priyank Kharge and Government of India’s Ministry of Information & Broadcasting secretary Sanjay Jaju. The dignitaries championed the event’s and the industry’s commitment to furthering the frontiers of creativity and technology.
“This event holds significance not just for the government of Karnataka but for the entire nation. Our professionals are not just contributing to global projects—they are leading them, bringing unique perspectives and unmatched expertise to the forefront. In animation and visual effects, Indian artists are instrumental in delivering cutting-edge visuals for domestic and international productions. Our contributions have garnered global acclaim, positioning India as a hub of high-quality animation and VFX services,” said Kharge.
He further added, “Despite the central government’s 28 per cent GST, we remain the fastest-growing market in the gaming sector, achieving an impressive 23 per cent year-on-year growth. By the end of the 2024 financial year, we are set to reach $3.8 billion. Looking ahead, I hope to see Karnataka host its own national e-sports festival this year, with the vision of creating the country’s—and possibly Asia’s—largest e-sports event.”
“Karnataka has always been at the forefront of technology and digital innovation, and our leadership in AVGC-XR continues to shape the industry. Home to over 300 AVGC studios and 15,000 plus professionals, Karnataka contributes significantly to India’s digital content revolution. We were the first state to introduce an AVGC-XR policy in 2012, and our third five-year policy, announced last year, strengthened this sector with production grants, tax incentives, and skill development initiatives. With India’s 500 million gamers, Karnataka leads with the highest number of gaming startups, positioning Bengaluru as the hub for next-gen game development. Our AVGC-XR fund, the first of its kind in India, supports startups and SMEs with investments up to Rs 2 crore. Additionally, we are setting up India’s first AVGC-XR Park, offering production studios, incubation spaces, and research facilities. By 2029, we aim for a 30 per cent increase in operational efficiency, a 20 per cent boost in creative output, and a 25 per cent expansion in digital marketing reach. GAFX 2025 reflects this vision, bringing together industry leaders, professionals, and students. Let’s collaborate, innovate, and strengthen Karnataka’s position as the global capital for AVGC-XR excellence,” said Caur.
“Storytelling is evolving beyond screens into immersive experiences that redefine how we engage with content. Just as astronomers explore the cosmos, we are visionaries shaping the visual language of tomorrow. Disruption isn’t an obstacle—it’s a catalyst, much like black holes and supernovae giving birth to new creations in the universe. Bengaluru stands at the heart of this transformation, where technology, artistry, and innovation unite to take India to the world and bring the world to India. From animation and gaming to AR, VR, and beyond, we are forging global alliances, building billion-dollar franchises, and nurturing the talent that will drive the next era of entertainment,” Ghose remarked.
Post the curtain raiser, the event began with a bang. Zebu Animation Studios, Amar Chitra Katha (ACK) and renowned actor Rana Daggubati launched the teaser trailer of the upcoming animated series Wingstar and premiered an episode from the upcoming animated series Suppandi. In 2024, Bengaluru-based Zebu had acquired the rights to both the IPs from ACK, to create their animated version. At the launch, Daggubati expressed, “Tinkle and ACK have shaped everything I know in life. I struggled at school and with almost everything else, but storytelling came naturally to me—thanks to my mother introducing me to ACK comics. I grew up with characters like Suppandi and Shikari Shambu, and today, with this launch, it feels like my journey has come full circle. I’m thrilled to be here in Bengaluru to announce it.”
In a game technology session titled Marvel’s Spider-Man games: Magic of Procedural Systems, Sony Insomniac Games’ senior technical artist Xray Halperin delved into the innovative use of procedural systems to create the dynamic and immersive world of Marvel’s Spider-Man, highlighting the technical prowess and creative solutions employed by the team. “We have a completely proprietary technical staff,” he said. “We’ve got our own Insomniac engine, asset networks as well as scripting language. While we’re not using any off-the-shelf game engine technology, we do use various digital creation content tools in order to build models, textures and stuff that we then feed into our game engine. I tend to work a lot on building tools for creating open worlds. So when I say procedural tools, it’s not a runtime procedural; it is often using a digital content creation package that supports procedural techniques and scripting in order to do something that computers happen to be really good at – repetitive work.”
In the panel The Sound of Storytelling – A Deep Dive into Music and Animation: Desi Oon, Studio Eeksaurus founder and creative director Suresh Eriyat, National Film Award-winning music director Rajat Dholakia, and executive producer Nilima Eriyat explored the intricate relationship between music and animation. The discussion highlighted how sound design and musical scores contribute to the storytelling process. During his presentation, Eriyat delved deep into their methods of creating emotional soundscapes where they blend folk rhythms and make use of other indigenous practices to lend a creative touch to their modern animated pieces.
The event featured a marvelous presentation on Crafting Contrast: The Animation Aesthetics of The Garfield Movie and That Christmas led by DNEG India character animation head Anand Baid. He explored the unique animation aesthetics employed in both The Garfield Movie and That Christmas, highlighting the creative techniques and visual styles that set these projects apart.
In another interesting session Crafting Epic Worlds Through VFX Expertise, ILM’s VFX supervisor Mohen Leo delved into the visually stunning and immersive worlds created in Star Wars Andor. In his presentation, he shared intricate details of the city Coruscant, a planet named Ferrix, a sequence on Fondor versus Cruiser and more. It was as if with his visuals, Leo transported the audience to the world of Star Wars.
In the creative industry, there is a continuous push to create indigenous content. And to drive that conversation forward, three animation filmmakers came together for the session Animation Rooted in India. Vaibhav Studios founder and creative director Vaibhav Kumaresh, independent filmmaker Govinda Sao and animation filmmaker and designer Swati Agarwal. Kumaresh began the session, introducing the audience to the diverse projects his team has taken on, and then shared his journey into storytelling. “The Indian diaspora is all around the world. When we have such a huge market, why aren’t we making films for them? So personally, local stories are what I have explored all these years. Sao, who completed his graduation in animation film design from National Institute of Design Ahmedabad, showcased his Annecy-award winning project Maatitel. From initial research and writing, to storyboarding, music composition, voice-acting and production, he shared the film’s BTS. Up next was Agarwal, who began with screening her recently-completed animated short Chalisa. The stop-motion animation musical created with clay is currently doing rounds of film festivals. “I have been making several films, but stop-motion is closest to my heart. I love every bit of it.”
This first day of GAFX had some insightful sessions on comics. One of them was Panel to Profit The Business of Comics in India. The panel features industry veterans, including Pran’s Features director Nikhil Pran, Penguin India (graphic novels) publisher Sohini Mitra, Indian Comics Association founder Ajitesh Sharma and Raj Comics founder Sanjay Gupta. The talk was moderated by Amar Chitra Katha president & CEO Preeti Vyas. “As an industry, we want all kinds of comic books to thrive,” stated Vyas. We are doing important work, tackling meaningful themes such as gender inclusivity, respect, empathy, and emotional well-being—topics that can sometimes be difficult for children to discuss or even understand. But when these ideas are woven into stories within a comic book like Tinkle, they become accessible, engaging, and easily absorbed. This presents an exciting opportunity. We now have a generation of adults who grew up reading comics and are happy to share them with their children. In the past, comics were seen as a reward after studying or playing, but today, parents recognise their value. With the National Education Policy emphasising comics as a learning tool, we are seeing a shift—one that is opening up incredible possibilities for the industry.” Gupta highlighted, “We must work to create compelling content and to bring the prices down to make it accessible.” Added Sharma, “We need to create content which will adapt itself to transmedia – like animation and gaming.”
DNEG India head of creative operations Payal Selvam presented on Fury is Born: The VFX of Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. The session delved into the advanced visual effects techniques involved in bringing the film’s post-apocalyptic world to life.
Recognising the need of the hour, the event featured a panel on AI in Media & Entertainment. Moderated by Deloitte Media and Entertainment leader Chandrashekhar Mantha, the panel featured Ghose, Nvidia South Asia managing director Vishal Dupar, Myelin Foundry founder & CEO Gopichand Katragadda, and Autodesk media & entertainment senior technical solutions specialist Samit Shetty. One of the key takeaways from the session was the growing enthusiasm for investing in AI, given its vast potential in content generation, plot creation, and process automation. However, the human touch remains essential—guiding AI with the right prompts is crucial to achieving the desired outcomes.
In another session Tech Behind The Mufasa The Lion King: VFX in the Age of Innovation by MPC, Shajy Thomas delved into the advanced visual effects techniques used in Mufasa: The Lion King, highlighting the innovative approaches and technological advancements employed by MPC to bring the film’s characters and environments to life. Through this session the audience gained a comprehensive understanding of the VFX processes that contribute to the film’s stunning visual storytelling.
The first day concluded with Zebu Animation Studios’ screening the much-awaited film Piece by Piece created from the creative genius Pharrell Williams through Lego animation. The film highlighted the innovative animation techniques and storytelling methods employed by the studio, offering a fresh and engaging visual experience.
The day also witnessed a panel discussion on Create in India: Centre and State Perspective where Ghose participated in a conversation with Jaju, Punnaryug Artvision founder & Ficci AVGC Forum chairman Ashish Kulkarni and Graphiti Multimedia founder & Ficci AVGC Forum co-chairman Munjal Shroff.
Portfolio views were conducted during the event. Furthermore, the IICT & State COEs Round Up, moderated by Ghose, brought together a distinguished panel that included MIB secretary Jaju, Caur, Shroff, Kulkarni and Chaitanya Chinchlikar. The discussion focused on advancements and initiatives in the field of chemical technology and the Centers of Excellence.
The first day concluded with attendees looking forward to the second day filled with more exciting sessions, masterclasses and competitions. Bengaluru GAFX is being held from 27 February to 1 March 2025 at The Lalit Ashok in the city of Bengaluru, Karnataka.
(The article has been jointly contributed by Anshita Bhatt and Binita Das.)