WaveX Launches Seven New Incubation Centers to Boost Media, Entertainment, and XR Startups Across India
WaveX, the startup accelerator platform under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting’s WAVES initiative, has announced the launch of seven new incubation centers across India to support startups in the Media, Entertainment, AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics), and XR (Extended Reality) sectors.
The new centers will be located at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in Delhi, Jammu, Dhenkanal, Kottayam, and Amravati, as well as at the Film and Television Institute of India in Pune and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata. These additions will complement the existing facility at the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai, providing startups nationwide with uniform access to top-tier infrastructure and mentorship.
Startups incubated under WaveX will benefit from advanced facilities for film production, game development, editing, and testing. The flagship IICT Mumbai incubator features state-of-the-art infrastructure, including an 8K Red Raptor Vista Vision camera, a 4K HDR preview theatre with Dolby Atmos, high-performance workstations, a virtual production stage with LED walls, photogrammetry systems, professional sound and color-mix theatres, 4K HDR edit suites, VR testing kits, and the latest gaming consoles. These resources allow startups to develop and validate content at global standards.
WaveX also provides structured mentorship from industry experts, masterclasses, bootcamps, policy clinics, investor connect sessions, and access to central and state government networks. Collaborations with IITs, T-Hub, and other incubators will further enhance learning and innovation opportunities. Participating startups will have the chance to collaborate with media units under the Ministry, including Doordarshan, All India Radio, the Film and Television Institute of India, Press Information Bureau, Publications Division, New Media Wing, and the Electronic Media Monitoring Centre, with selected startups potentially prioritized for outsourced projects.
Applications for the upcoming cohort are now open through the WaveX portal, with 15 startups to be selected per location. The program targets early-stage ventures, particularly in gaming, OTT content, AI-driven content creation, and immersive technologies such as AR, VR, and XR. The incubation model operates in two phases: an active phase offering intensive support in business modeling, product development, branding, fundraising, and media regulations, followed by a passive phase that provides ongoing mentorship and opportunities for global showcasing.
