Highlights
- Netflix and IICT are offering scholarships to 100 students and working professionals across India.
- The scholarships cover up to 80% of fees across six AVGC-XR programs.
- Eligible students and professionals can submit their applications through Sep 30, 2026.
Netflix and the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) are offering scholarships to 100 students and working professionals across India. The scholarships will cover up to 80% of fees across six professional programs. Applications run from Aug 24 through Sep 30, 2026, with the initiative focused on building skills for India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) sectors.
The scholarships are funded through the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity and form part of the first phase of Netflix’s India Storytelling Initiative.
The broader initiative was announced after Co-CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his India visit and is intended to strengthen India’s creative talent pipeline. Netflix says it has produced more than 200 Originals and filmed in over 100 Indian locations during its decade-long engagement with the country.
Netflix Scholarships Cover Six IICT Creative Programs
The program includes two one-year diplomas in Interactive Comics & Sequential Arts and Visual Effects Mastery. Four six-month certificates cover virtual art department content creation, the art of character animation, media tech workflow, and esports & gaming management.
Netflix India Content Vice President, Monika Shergill, pointed out that the program will give emerging creators practical training across animation, VFX, gaming, and comics.
Netflix has also helped shape the curricula for Visual Effects Mastery and Media Tech Workflow around current production practices. The scholarships are open to both students and working professionals, extending the program beyond traditional entry-level education.
IICT Partnership Connects Training With Industry
IICT Board Chairman and Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Secretary, Chanchal Kumar, stated that the partnership can help connect India’s creative talent with the changing requirements of the global AVGC-XR industry. Likewise, IICT CEO, Dr. Vishwas Deoskar, said the collaboration combines education, industry input, and financial access, while FICCI AVGC-XR Forum Chairman Munjal Shroff highlighted industry-aligned talent development.
The announcement builds on the October 2025 Netflix-IICT-FICCI MoU, which established plans for curriculum development, workshops, guest lectures, masterclasses, and scholarships. Netflix also joined IICT’s R&D, academic, and industry development councils.
IICT, established as India’s national centre of excellence for AVGC-XR, currently operates from Mumbai’s NFDC Complex, while its permanent 10-acre campus is being developed at Film City, Goregaon. The scholarship program adds financial support to IICT’s industry-focused training model, giving aspiring creators another route into India’s expanding creative-technology workforce.
