Press Release

Coming decade can be India’s Esports decade; Industry should become part of this: Ashish Shelar, Minister, IT & Cultural Affairs, Govt of Maharashtra

September 30, 2026

FICCI BAF Awards 2026 Honours the Creators Shaping the Future of India’s Creative Technology Ecosystem

MUMBAI, 30 September 2026: The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) today announced the winners of the FICCI BAF Awards 2026, (during the FICCI FRAMES 2026) recognising outstanding creative and technical achievement across Animation, Visual Effects (VFX), Video Games, Comics, Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The FICCI BAF Awards brought together creators, studios, independent professionals and emerging talent from India and around the world. The 2026 edition received nearly 300 entries from 12 countries, reflecting the growing global footprint of India’s animation, visual effects, gaming and creative technology ecosystem. The winners were selected across a diverse set of categories spanning creative craft, storytelling, technology and innovation, with recognition for both established professionals and emerging student talent.

Mr Ashish Shelar, Minister of IT & Minister of Cultural Affairs, Govt of Maharashtra while addressing the FICCI BAF Awards and session on ‘India’s Esports Decade: From Players to Global Powerhouse’, said that Esports is a sector that is at the intersection of technology, creativity, competition and youth culture. “A sector that is increasingly influencing how young people engage, learn, compete, connect and they make their career in this sector. The coming decade can be India’s Esports decade, and I urge the industry to be part of this,” he added.

Mr Shelar stated that Esports have emerged as a structured, competitive and global connected ecosystem which combines technology, schemes, strategy, teamwork, content creation, broadcasting, event management and entrepreneurship. “We must build institutional strength by investing in grassroots talent identification, professional coaching systems and formal way of establishing a platform to teach, learn, make them professionally more capable,” he emphasized.

Highlighting the potential of Maharashtra, the Minister added that we see tremendous synergies between esports and Maharashtra’s creative ecosystem. “We have the potential to become a hub for world class tournament, global esports production, original gaming content and next generations experiences. The future belongs to economies that successfully combine creativity with technology and Maharashtra intends to lead the same,” he noted.

Mr Munjal Shroff, Chairman, FICCI AVGC-XR Forum, said, “The FICCI BAF Awards have evolved significantly since their inception in 2004. What we are witnessing today is an ecosystem where storytelling, artistic craft and technology are coming together in entirely new ways. The 2026 edition reflects this transformation, with exceptional work across animation, VFX, gaming, comics, XR and AI. We congratulate all the winners and participants whose work continues to expand the possibilities of the creative economy.”

The 2026 edition also marked the continued expansion of the FICCI BAF Awards into emerging creative technologies. With dedicated recognition for AI-assisted animation, photorealistic backgrounds, photoreal humans and animals, and AI-led advertising film production, the awards acknowledge how rapidly the creative production landscape is evolving.

The judging process brought together experienced professionals and leaders from across the creative and technology ecosystem. The Super Jury, comprising senior industry leaders from media, animation, VFX, gaming and creative technology, provided the final layer of evaluation across the strongest entries.

The BAF Awards were established by FICCI in 2004 to recognise excellence in animation and have since expanded to reflect the wider evolution of India’s creative technology ecosystem. Today, the awards cover Animation, VFX, Video Games, Comics, XR and AI, creating a platform for studios, independent creators, professionals and students to showcase their work to the industry.

The FICCI BAF Awards 2026 winners are:

The FICCI BAF Awards 2026 celebrate not only the finished works, but also the people, teams and ideas pushing the boundaries of visual storytelling and creative technology.

As India’s media and entertainment ecosystem enters a period of rapid technological transformation, the BAF Awards continue to provide a platform for recognising the talent and innovation that will shape its next chapter.

For the complete list of FICCI BAF Awards 2026 winners, visit: baf.ficci.in

About FICCI BAF Awards

Established in 2004 by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the BAF Awards recognise excellence in animation and have evolved into a global platform celebrating achievements across Animation, VFX, Video Games, Comics, XR and AI. The awards bring together established studios, independent creators, professionals and emerging student talent from India and around the world.

The 2026 edition of the FICCI BAF Awards was managed by TheYouthTalks, supporting FICCI across the awards’ execution and stakeholder engagement.

FICCI Media Division

Other Press Releases:

• India must move beyond from content consumer to world leader in content creation: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
• Netflix Announces ‘Lock Upp’ New Season; Ayushmann Khurrana Praises Hanuman Ansh at Day 1 of 'FICCI FRAMES 2026'
• FICCI FRAMES 2026 SLATED FOR 29-30 SEPTEMBER BRINGS TOGETHER CREATIVE ICONS, BUSINESS LEADERS, AND POLICYMAKERS TO DEFINE ‘INDIA’S MEDIA MOMENT’