Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday, 4 July 2026, declared that the state's AVGC-XR policy is poised to redefine India's entertainment landscape, making the remarks at the 'India Rising: Road to Esports World Cup 2026' event held in Mumbai.

Context

Fadnavis posted on X, stating in English and Marathi: 'Maharashtra's visionary AVGC-XR policies are set to redefine and revolutionise India's entertainment landscape.' The Marathi portion — महाराष्ट्राची दूरदर्शी AVGC-XR धोरणे भारताच्या मनोरंजन क्षेत्राचा चेहरामोहरा बदलण्यास आणि त्यात क्रांती घडवून आणण्यास सज्ज आहेत — carries the same message, underlining that Maharashtra's forward-looking framework is ready to transform the country's media and entertainment sector.

The remarks were made in the context of the India Rising: Road to Esports World Cup 2026 event, which brought together stakeholders from the animation, gaming and extended reality industries in Mumbai on 4 July 2026.

Policy Backdrop

AVGC-XR stands for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality — a cluster of sunrise digital content industries that governments across India have been actively courting. In 2023, the Government of India established a dedicated AVGC promotion task force under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, with the explicit goal of positioning the country as a global hub for digital content creation and export.

Maharashtra's own AVGC-XR framework builds on the state's existing strengths as home to Mumbai, India's entertainment and financial capital. The policy is designed to attract investment and talent by leveraging the city's established film, media and post-production ecosystem, aligning state-level incentives with the national push for creative-industry growth.

Several other Indian states have introduced targeted policies for animation, gaming and extended reality, intensifying competition for studios, skilled professionals and foreign direct investment in these sectors. Maharashtra's strategy seeks to differentiate itself by integrating emerging technologies — particularly extended reality — with traditional creative industries.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of a robust AVGC-XR policy include animation studios, visual effects houses, game developers, esports organisers and extended reality startups concentrated in and around Mumbai. Industry professionals have long sought a coherent state-level framework that offers fiscal incentives, infrastructure support and a streamlined regulatory environment.

The Esports World Cup 2026 connection signals Maharashtra's intent to use high-visibility international events as a catalyst for ecosystem development. Hosting a leg of a global esports tournament in Mumbai would spotlight the city as a competitive gaming destination and draw attention from international studios, broadcasters and sponsors.

Employment generation is a stated objective of the broader national AVGC push, with projections that the sector could create hundreds of thousands of skilled jobs in content creation, technology and allied services over the coming years.

What's Next

Attention will now turn to the implementation timeline for the specific incentives and infrastructure commitments under Maharashtra's AVGC-XR policy. Industry stakeholders will be watching for concrete announcements on fiscal benefits, dedicated infrastructure zones and talent-development programmes.

The India Rising: Road to Esports World Cup 2026 event in Mumbai is itself a marker of the growing institutional momentum behind competitive gaming in India. Maharashtra's positioning at this juncture suggests the state intends to play a leading role as India prepares for greater participation in the global esports calendar.