Arena Animation has marked its 30th anniversary, saying it has taught more than 500,000 students worldwide since its launch.
The milestone highlights the scale of one of India's larger creative education networks, with more than 210 centres across over 100 cities and towns globally. Arena Animation is a training brand of Aptech, which has a longer history in education and skilling.
The company trains students in animation, visual effects, gaming, digital content creation, augmented and virtual reality, multimedia, and related fields. Its anniversary comes as India seeks to strengthen its position in the AVGC-XR sector, covering animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality.
Arena Animation says it has continued to update its courses in response to changing technology and employer demand. The group recently launched an Academic Advisory Board in Mumbai, a move intended to deepen links between industry and education.
Industry shift
The company pointed to broader changes in India's creative industries, where local studios have often worked on international productions as service partners. It said the reception for Indian titles such as The Legend of Hanuman and Netflix's Kurukshetra showed a growing market for original domestic intellectual property.
That shift is shaping Arena Animation's strategy beyond vocational training. Through an initiative called Arena Animation Originals, the organisation is encouraging students and alumni to develop and present their own projects, with a focus on original intellectual property and entrepreneurship.
The company said former students have worked across studios, production houses, gaming groups, broadcasters, and digital media businesses. It named employers and collaborators including DNEG, Rockstar Games, Zebu Animation, Green Gold Animation, ILM, NYVFXWALA, Network18, and Digitoonz.
According to the company, some alumni have received credits on internationally recognised and Oscar-nominated films. Others have taken part in skills competitions in India and abroad, including the IndiaSkills Competition and the WorldSkills Competition.
Leadership comments
The anniversary is also being used to underline the company's position in a sector that has drawn increasing policy attention in India. The country has promoted the AVGC-XR segment as an area for export growth, digital employment, and local content creation.
"As Arena Animation celebrates 30 years, we take immense pride in the impact our students, alumni, faculty, franchise partners, and industry collaborators have created together. This milestone is not merely a celebration of our legacy but a reaffirmation of our commitment to the future. As the creative economy continues to expand, our focus remains on empowering aspiring creators with industry-relevant skills, fostering innovation, and enabling them to become creators, storytellers, entrepreneurs, and leaders in the global AVGC-XR ecosystem," said Sandip Weling, Whole-time Director & Chief Business Officer, Aptech.
Weling's remarks place the anniversary in the context of a wider creative economy drawing more attention from investors, educators, and media businesses. Demand for digital content, games, animation, and immersive media has increased as streaming, online video, and new production tools have spread.
Aptech's backing has also helped Arena Animation build a national presence over three decades. The company said that support had allowed it to keep teaching aligned with changes in software, workflows, and job profiles across creative media.
Another senior executive linked the company's plans to the broader expansion of India's creative industries, saying rising content demand, technological change, and public policy support were all contributing to growth in the market.
"India's AVGC-XR sector is poised for significant growth, supported by increasing global demand for content, technological advancements, and policy support. With its strong legacy, extensive industry network, and future-focused learning ecosystem, Arena Animation remains committed to playing a meaningful role in building the next generation of creative professionals and contributing to India's emergence as a global creative powerhouse," said Samuel.
The company said its anniversary programme would include alumni engagement and industry outreach in multiple cities. It also linked those efforts to rising demand for original content, creator-led businesses, generative artificial intelligence, virtual production, immersive technologies, and new digital media workflows.