The Embassy of France in India and the French Institute in India (IFI), with support from the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, have launched ‘Desibel’, a multi-year initiative to strengthen next-generation skills and international collaboration in India’s AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Immersive Content) sector.
The programme focuses on four areas—access, capacity-building, preservation and international exchange—bringing Indian and French mentors, artists, curators, publishers and institutions together. In every programme, Indian and French mentors, artists, curators, publishers, and institutions work together, whether it involves training librarians or mentoring animators, or shaping the future of Indian publishing.
Highlighted during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India earlier this year, Desibel is backed by a two-year grant and brings together Kutumb Foundation, Westland Books and Aniverse & Visual Arts Foundation (AVAF), with the Free Libraries Network as a knowledge partner.
Kutumb is expanding community-library engagement through comics in local languages and librarian training, while Westland Books’ India Comics Project is commissioning 24 Indian artists to adapt literary classics into graphic novels under its new Lattis imprint, with the first titles expected in late 2026.
AVAF is creating international opportunities for Indian animation, gaming and XR creators through the AniMela Festival and International Mifa Campus pitch lab. Five Indian animation projects were pitched at France’s Annecy Festival in June 2026.
French Ambassador to India Thierry Mathou said the initiative reflects the growing strategic partnership between India and France in the AVGC-XR sector and described participating Indian creators as “Passeurs of culture” carrying stories, ideas and innovation across borders.
