Global Tech Leaders from Google, Microsoft and Amazon to Mentor Indian Media Startups in WaveX Incubator; Government Media Unit Partnerships to Provide Infrastructure, Advisory and Real-World Testing for Effective Scaling
Two-Phase WaveX Incubator to Provide Business Development, Sandbox Testing and Global Showcasing Opportunities; 15 Startups in First Batch
MUMBAI, AUGUST 31, 2025: WaveX, the startup accelerator program of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) has announced the launch of a dedicated Media Tech Startup Incubator aimed at nurturing high-potential ventures in the rapidly evolving media and entertainment space. The incubator will provide a dedicated nurturing ecosystem for the startups in the AVGC-XR sector which includes Audio, Visual, Comics, Gaming and Extended Reality. The initiative will provide structured mentorship, cutting-edge infrastructure, strategic advisory, and real-world testing opportunities through government media unit partnerships-helping startups scale and commercialize effectively.
The incubator will operate on a two-phase model
- Active Phase; Intensive support in business modelling, product development, pitching, branding, fundraising, and media regulations, with sandbox testing opportunities in OTT, VFX, VR, gaming, animation, publishing, and post-production.
- Passive Phase: Global showcases through Waves Bazaar, focus on lighter mentorship, investor engagement and industry associations.
Various facilities will be provided such as co-working spaces, AV/digital labs, hosting servers, high-speed LAN/Wi-Fi, AWS/Google Cloud credits and India AI compute services in near future. Programs will feature masterclasses by global leaders from Google, Microsoft, Amazon etc, along with focused bootcamps, policy clinics, and investor connect sessions.
WAVEX will oversee the governance of the program with quarterly reviews under the mentorship of the Ministry of I&B. 15 startups will be selected for the first batch in IICT campus with a fee of ₹ 8500 + GST per month.
Applications for the first cohort are open until 7th September, 2025. Interested startups can apply by logging into wavex.wavesbazaar.com, navigating to the dashboard, selecting “Register for Incubation,” filling out the application form, providing the required details, choosing their preferred incubator location, and submitting their application online.
About WaveX
WaveX is the dedicated startup accelerator platform under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s WAVES initiative, aimed at nurturing innovations in media, entertainment, and language tech. At the WAVES Summit 2025 in Mumbai, over 30 startups pitched live to investors, government agencies, and tech leaders. WaveX continues to empower next-gen innovators through hackathons, mentorship, and national platform integration.
About IICT
The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, launched in July 2025 by the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, is a pioneering institution dedicated to advancing India’s AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) sector. Structured as a Section 8 joint venture company, IICT brings together the Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra and leading industry bodies such as FICCI and CII, in a unique public–private partnership model. Its mandate is to create a world-class talent pool, strengthen India’s creative economy, and position the country as a global leader in immersive and digital content technologies. With strong academic-industry linkages, including collaborations with global players like Google, Adobe and Meta, IICT offers specialized courses in Gaming, Post-Production, Animation, Comics, and XR.
