Jan 16: The Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir visited the Indian Institute of Creative Technology–National Film Development Corporation (IICT–NFDC) Campus in Mumbai, where he interacted with leading professionals from the film and creative industries. The visit focused on exploring avenues to position Jammu and Kashmir as an emerging hub for film tourism and creative industries.
During the interaction, the Chief Minister highlighted J&K’s vast and diverse natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and growing infrastructure, noting that these factors make the Union Territory an ideal destination for film production and creative enterprises. He underscored the importance of leveraging this potential through strategic partnerships and institutional support.
Emphasising youth empowerment, the Chief Minister stressed the urgent need for structured skilling and upskilling programmes for young people in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in high-growth creative sectors such as Animation, Visual Effects (VFX), Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR). He observed that these emerging domains offer significant employment opportunities and align with global trends in digital content creation.
The Chief Minister advocated for early collaboration with IICT–NFDC to create national-level training and capacity-building opportunities for talented youth from J&K. He said that access to world-class institutions and industry exposure would help nurture creativity, enhance employability, and enable young professionals from the region to compete on national and international platforms.
Creative and film sector professionals present at the interaction shared insights on industry requirements, evolving technologies, and the importance of institutional linkages in developing a skilled workforce. Discussions also touched upon the role of policy support and incentives in attracting film productions and creative investments to Jammu and Kashmir.
The visit reaffirmed the government’s commitment to integrating film tourism, creative education, and youth skill development as part of a broader strategy for economic diversification and cultural promotion in J&K. The proposed collaboration with IICT–NFDC is expected to open new pathways for innovation, employment, and sustainable growth in the Union Territory’s creative economy.
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