Orange Economy: Nirmala's big bet on gaming, concerts and the creative sector
The Orange Economy in India, encompassing creative sectors like gaming, animation, and VFX, received significant attention in the Union Budget, highlighting its substantial economic and employment potential.
The Orange Economy in India, encompassing creative sectors like gaming, animation, and VFX, received significant attention in the Union Budget, highlighting its substantial economic and employment potential.
The Orange Economy in India, encompassing creative sectors like gaming, animation, and VFX, received significant attention in the Union Budget, highlighting its substantial economic and employment potential.
India's rapidly expanding creativity-driven sectors - including gaming, animation, concerts and visual effects - found a significant mention in the Union Budget, with the government highlighting their growing economic and employment potential.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday emphasised the concept of the "Orange Economy" and said these emerging sectors could require more than 20 lakh professionals in the coming years. "India's Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector is a growing industry, projected to require 2 million professionals by 2030," she said during her budget speech.
Acknowledging that the future of growth lies in emerging creative industries, the finance minister announced support for the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), Mumbai, to establish AVGC Content Creator Labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges across the country.
According to the Economic Survey, revenue from the gaming sector alone stood at ₹23,200 crore in 2024, while animation and VFX contributed ₹10,300 crore.
The Economic Survey has also called for unlocking the full potential of India's Orange Economy by simplifying regulatory frameworks for live events and concerts, which are included within its ambit. The government is considering a single-window clearance system for such events, underlining the importance it places on sectors that engage a large share of the youth.
The Orange Economy spans diverse fields such as art, music, entertainment and intellectual property, and its growth is expected to have positive spillover effects on hospitality, travel and marketing industries.
"The 'Orange Economy' refers to the part of the economy driven by creativity, culture and intellectual property," the Economic Survey noted. In India, concerts and several other entertainment formats are still at a nascent stage, and the budget's focus on the Orange Economy could help attract fresh investment into the sector.