The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) and YouTube have introduced four AI-enabled short films under their collaborative ‘Create with AI’ programme, marking an important development in India’s growing AI-driven filmmaking sector.
Announced in November 2025, the initiative was launched to encourage creative projects powered by artificial intelligence and strengthen India’s capabilities in emerging technologies. The release of the first four films represents a step towards developing an ecosystem that supports AI-assisted filmmaking and expands India’s role in technology-driven storytelling.
The films, created by Eleventh Door Studio, Avium Studios, Karthik Kult Kreations and Kalpanik Films LLP, were unveiled at the IICT Theatre in Mumbai. The filmmakers subsequently released them on their respective YouTube channels, alongside IICT.
Four Studios Explore AI-Powered Filmmaking
The ‘Create with AI’ programme brings together IICT’s infrastructure and faculty mentorship with AI software, tools and credits provided through YouTube. This support allows participating studios to experiment with artificial intelligence throughout the filmmaking process, from developing concepts and visualising ideas to production and post-production.
The initiative also gives audiences access to exclusive behind-the-scenes material showcasing the tools, techniques and creative approaches used to produce the films.
Filmmaker Rajesh Mapuskar attended the showcase and interacted with the teams involved in the projects.
Dr Vishwas Deoskar, CEO of IICT, said India has an opportunity to play a leading role in the next phase of AI-enabled filmmaking. He explained that the programme gives Indian creative studios access to advanced tools and institutional guidance, helping them experiment, strengthen their capabilities and develop new production workflows.
He described the initiative as an important step towards building an ecosystem that could establish India as a leading force in AI-driven storytelling.
Speaking to the media, Dr Deoskar highlighted the need for creativity to evolve alongside technological advancements.
“We want to boost the filmmakers of India at the national and international levels… The scope is very big. Technology is evolving at a very rapid pace, and creativity has to evolve alongside it,” he said.
He added that understanding AI’s potential and identifying its possible applications would be important for expanding opportunities in the creative sector.
YouTube Highlights AI’s Benefits for Independent Creators
Gunjan Soni, Managing Director of YouTube India, said India has a strong storytelling tradition and that independent creators are increasingly building their own production capabilities.
According to Soni, generative AI can reduce production-related bottlenecks, allowing filmmakers to spend more time on writing, world-building and refining their creative work.
She said the partnership with IICT demonstrates how Indian storytelling can combine with advanced technology to produce high-quality cinema through independent production.
A recent Gen Media India report by Public First and Google also highlights the potential productivity benefits of generative media tools. According to the report, these tools can improve productivity among creative workers in India by 20%, saving approximately 390 hours annually.
This amounts to nearly 10 weeks of additional time that creators could devote to writing, developing fictional worlds and improving their craft.
IICT Says AI Can Expand Creative Possibilities
Ninad Raikar, COO of IICT, said the programme was designed to explore how AI tools could enhance the creative process rather than replace human creativity.
He explained that ‘Create with AI’ combines Google and YouTube’s AI technologies with IICT’s infrastructure and faculty mentorship, giving filmmakers an opportunity to test new approaches to storytelling.
According to Raikar, the four films demonstrate how artificial intelligence can expand creative possibilities while keeping filmmakers at the centre of the storytelling process.
About the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies
The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies is India’s National Centre of Excellence for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR). It was established with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra, FICCI and CII.
IICT began operations at its first campus at the NFDC Complex in July 2025. A permanent 10-acre campus is being developed at Film City in Goregaon, Mumbai.
The institute currently offers 18 courses and has partnerships with leading global technology and media companies. Through initiatives such as ‘Create with AI’, IICT aims to support India’s creative technology sector and help filmmakers explore new possibilities in AI-assisted production and storytelling.