Arena Animation marks 30 years with Bengaluru alumni meet

Arena Animation held an alumni meet in Bengaluru, bringing together more than 100 alumni and partners from the animation, visual effects, gaming and wider creative sectors.

The event focused on former students now working across studios, agencies and technology-led creative businesses. Attendees included Harish Vishwakarma, Technology Director at 88 Pictures; Balaji NG, Lead UI Designer at Dentsu; Alok Kumar, Director - UI/UX at Myntra; Prashanth, Creature TD at DNEG; and Shreya Menon of Rockstar Games.

The Bengaluru meet also marked a milestone for the training institute as it commemorated three decades in animation, gaming, visual effects and digital media education. Arena Animation is a training brand of Aptech.

Alumni Network

The meet was designed to reconnect former students with each other and with the institution, while giving current and aspiring creative professionals a view of career paths in the AVGC-XR sector, which in India includes animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality.

Discussions focused on changing technology, employment pathways and what studios and employers now expect from new recruits. Alumni also shared their professional journeys, showing how careers can move between film, design, games and digital product roles.

Bengaluru is one of India's main centres for technology and digital production, making it a natural venue for an event aimed at linking education with creative industry employment. The presence of alumni from visual effects, gaming, user interface design and studio technology reflected the range of roles opening up as Indian companies and global studios expand their work in the country.

The Bengaluru gathering is the first step in a broader alumni engagement programme across India. Arena Animation plans to hold similar meetings in metro and non-metro cities to build a stronger network among former students and recognise their professional progress.

Training Push

Alongside the alumni event, Arena Animation introduced training initiatives focused on original content creation and newer production methods. One of them, Arena Animation Originals, is an intellectual property creation initiative intended to encourage students and alumni to develop their own concepts and content.

The initiative was unveiled by Rituparna Sarkar, Founder and Creative Director of Visual Sarkarsam. Arena Animation linked the move to rising interest in original intellectual property and domestic content development in animation and visual effects, as well as the use of virtual production and digital content workflows.

The launch points to a wider shift in India's media and entertainment training market. Institutes that once focused mainly on software instruction and studio placements are increasingly positioning themselves around content creation, portfolio development and industry-linked specialisations as competition for skilled workers grows.

Arena Animation says it has trained more than 450,000 students globally since its launch in 1996 through its network of centres. It offers courses in animation, VFX, gaming, digital, AR/VR and multimedia, and says its students have gone on to work at companies including DNEG, Rockstar Games, Zebu Animation, Green Gold Animation, ILM, NY VFXWALA, Network 18 and Digitoonz.

Industry Demand

India's AVGC-XR segment has drawn increasing policy and commercial attention in recent years as studios, streaming platforms, advertisers and game developers look for artists, technical directors, designers and digital production specialists. Training businesses have responded by broadening course offerings and placing greater emphasis on job-readiness and industry visibility.

The alumni roster at the Bengaluru meet suggested that graduates are moving into a wider set of functions beyond traditional animation roles. User experience and interface design positions at consumer internet companies such as Myntra and creative roles at agencies such as Dentsu sit alongside visual effects work at DNEG and games development at Rockstar Games.

For training providers, that spread shows how media and entertainment education can lead into adjacent digital sectors, including design, eCommerce and interactive product development. It also reflects how creative technology skills are being absorbed by companies beyond film and television production.

Shajan Samuel, Senior Vice President & National Sales Head, Arena Animation, spoke about the role of alumni in that ecosystem. "It is inspiring to see our alumni making meaningful contributions across leading studios and creative organisations. As Arena Animation marked 30 years, this milestone is not only a reflection of our legacy, but of the strong industry network we have cultivated over time. The Bengaluru Alumni Meet celebrates these achievements while reinforcing our commitment to nurturing talent, strengthening alumni connections, and fostering a collaborative ecosystem that inspires the next generation of creative professionals," he said.