The AVGC-XR & AI Summit 2026, organised by the Punjab AVGC-XR Media & Entertainment Association in collaboration with MAAC Ludhiana and Jalandhar, brought together industry leaders, creators and students to explore emerging opportunities in India’s rapidly expanding animation, VFX, gaming, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR) ecosystem.
The summit aimed to strengthen Punjab’s role in India’s growing Orange Creative Economy, creating a platform for young talent to connect with industry experts and understand evolving career opportunities in animation, VFX, gaming, AI and digital content creation.
The initiative was led by the association’s founding directors Riya Arora, Rohit Arora and Sanjay Jhankid, who have been actively working towards strengthening the AVGC-XR ecosystem in Punjab and connecting regional talent with national industry developments.
The summit featured Ashish Kulkarni, founding director of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology, as the chief guest and keynote speaker. Kulkarni shared insights on the rapid growth of India’s AVGC sector and emphasised the importance of developing skilled creative talent to support the industry’s future expansion.
Also addressing the audience was Sandip Weling, whole-time director and CBO at Aptech, who spoke about the increasing demand for trained professionals in the media and entertainment industry.
The event also saw participation from several industry experts including Abhyuday Grover, Abir Aich, Aubrey Aloysius, Gaurav Markan, Sanjay Gupta and Vasu Gupta, who discussed storytelling, technological innovation and the future of content creation.
Content creators including Baldeep Jandu, Zeenat, Priyanshu Dogra, Jomedy, Ravleen and Kartik Wadhwa interacted with attendees, sharing their journeys and highlighting how the creator economy is emerging as a powerful career avenue for youth.
The event was hosted by Meera Nagpal.
A major highlight of the summit was the official launch of the Career-X creator-X Program, introduced as a career acceleration initiative aimed at empowering young creators and connecting them with opportunities in the AVGC-XR and digital content ecosystem.
The program was launched by Kulkarni, Weling, Aich, Rohit Arora and Riya Arora in the presence of industry leaders, government dignitaries including the city’s mayor, Mr. and Mrs. Jagota, several women influencers, industry experts and MAAC alumni working across leading studios. Special guests including Vijay Shah and program partner Gaurav Makhan and Grover were also present during the launch.
The initiative aims to serve as a launchpad for aspiring talent, connecting students with mentorship, industry exposure and career pathways in animation, VFX, gaming, AI and digital content creation.
Several renowned institutions and companies supported the summit as partners, while the Tech Pavilion showcased a range of creative technologies including digital art, gaming experiences, AI-powered innovations and creator tools from leading brands and technology providers.
Through this initiative, students and aspiring creators gained valuable exposure to industry trends, technologies and career pathways in animation, VFX, AI and digital content.
The organisers stated that the AVGC-XR & AI Summit 2026 is part of a larger vision to establish Punjab as a growing hub for the AVGC-XR sector and to connect the region’s creative talent with the global media and entertainment industry.
