The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has opened applications for DPIIT-registered startups working in film and allied technologies to participate in the WaveX Startup Pavilion at WAVES Bazaar during the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa 2026, according to an official statement released on Saturday, 7 November 2026. The initiative is designed to give emerging companies a dedicated launchpad on one of Asia's most prominent cinema stages.

What the WaveX Pavilion Offers

The pavilion aims to provide startups an exclusive platform to demonstrate their products, technologies, and solutions directly to the national and international film and media industry. Beyond exhibition space, the programme promises structured networking opportunities and direct engagement with filmmakers, production houses, and investors operating within the global creative ecosystem. For early-stage companies, access to that level of industry traffic is rarely available outside such curated events.

Who Can Apply

Eligibility is restricted to startups registered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) that operate in film and related technology domains. Shortlisted applicants will go through a screening and evaluation process conducted by a Selection Committee constituted by WaveX. The ministry's statement encouraged all eligible startups to apply and 'take advantage of this opportunity to showcase their innovations on an international platform.'

About WaveX and the AVGC-XR Push

WaveX, formally known as the WAVES Startup Accelerator, is an accelerator and incubation initiative of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting focused on innovation and entrepreneurship in the media and entertainment sector. It specifically targets startups working in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR), as well as broader media technologies. The initiative sits within India's larger ambition to position itself as a global AVGC-XR hub — an agenda underlined when the Union Budget 2026–27 allocated ₹250 crore for AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges across the country, according to a recent official factsheet.

IFFI as a Global Showcase

Established in 1952, IFFI is one of Asia's most established film festivals, held annually in Goa. It draws filmmakers, buyers, and delegates from across the world, making it a natural venue for a startup showcase targeting the creative industry. This comes amid a broader government push — through national platforms such as the WAVES summit — to demonstrate India's immersive media capabilities to a global audience. The convergence of a startup pavilion with a festival of IFFI's standing reflects a deliberate strategy to commercialise India's creative-tech pipeline at scale.

What Startups Should Do Next

The ministry has not publicly disclosed an application deadline, so interested startups are advised to monitor official WaveX and Ministry of Information and Broadcasting channels for submission timelines and evaluation criteria. Given the competitive selection process, early applications are expected to be advantageous. Successful participants stand to gain international visibility, investor introductions, and a credible entry point into global film and media supply chains.