India emerges as global creative powerhouse due to top talent, tech: EY

Driven by a deep talent pool, a rich cultural legacy, rapid technological adoption, and expanding infrastructure, India is fast emerging as a global creative powerhouse, according to the Ernst & Young (EY) report titled "A Studio Called India."

- BY S VENKAT NARAYAN OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

India's role in global media infrastructure is also expanding, with more than 1,580 Global Capability Centres (GCCs), including close to 50 in M&E.

The report was released at the World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) 2025 in Mumbai. The growth of Media Capability Centres (MCCs) is enabling specialised services like content localisation, compliance, immersive production, and large-scale content management.

Indian studios have contributed to major global films including Avengers: Endgame, The Jungle Book, Life of Pi, Frozen, The Lion King, and Madagascar, showcasing their high-end VFX and animation capabilities.

The report notes that animation and VFX costs in India are 40% to 60% lower than in the West, supported by a workforce of around 260,000 skilled professionals.

As per the report, global programming spend is expected to increase by 5.3% in 2025 to $206 billion, driven by streaming giants like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+.

India is positioned to play a larger role in this expansion across both subscription and ad-based models. In the gaming sector, the report notes that India had 488 million online gamers in 2024, predominantly using mobile devices.

The country has over 1,900 game development companies employing approximately 66,000 people. Indian firms support global players such as EA, Zynga, Ubisoft, Rockstar