Grey FX Studio Private Limited invites Expression of Interest (EOI) from eligible Universities / Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) / Institutes across India to participate in an Industry-Sponsored Major Project.
The initiative aims to develop multisensory, immersive, and gamified digital content, including animation-based storytelling and interactive learning modules, aligned with national priorities in education, digital innovation, and societal outreach.
Education
Aligned with national priorities in digital innovation and education
Innovation
Immersive, gamified, and animation-based storytelling content
Societal Outreach
Scalable digital content for real-world social impact
Background and Rationale
Why This Project?
With the rapid evolution of Animation, VFX, Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Gamification, there is a growing need to integrate multisensory design approaches into educational and societal frameworks.
This project is conceptualized to:
Practice-Based Learning
Promote practice-based learning and skill development
Real-World Pipelines
Enable student participation in real-world production pipelines
Industry–Academia Collaboration
Foster industry–academia collaboration
Social Impact
Develop scalable digital content for social impact
The proposal aligns with the objectives of ICSSR/DST in promoting interdisciplinary, application-driven, and socially relevant research and innovation.
Objectives & Scope of Work
What Will Be Achieved?
Project Objectives
Develop 100 short immersive/gamified animation-based content units
Integrate multisensory design principles into storytelling
Enable student-led content development under faculty supervision
Create a replicable model of industry–academia collaboration
Support capacity building in animation, VFX, and immersive media domains
Scope of Work
Participating institutions shall undertake:
Story ideation, scripting, and storyboard development
Character design and environment creation
Production of 2D/3D animation and gamified/interactive modules
Integration of audio, narration, and sound design
User interaction elements
Rendering and final output delivery
Deliverables, Structure & Duration
Project Structure at a Glance
100
Content Units
Total output of up to 100 content units
12
Months Duration
Indicative project timeline
10–20
Units Per Institution
Batch-wise allocation based on capacity and evaluation
6
Month Reviews
Performance review every 6 months
Deliverables
Animated Videos / Interactive Modules
Short content units of 1–5 minutes duration
Output Formats
HD / Full HD / 4K output formats
Source Files
Source/project files (if required)
Documentation
Brief academic/technical documentation
Each institution shall designate a Principal Investigator (PI), a Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI) (if applicable), and Student teams (UG/PG/Scholars).
Eligibility Criteria
Who Can Participate?
7.1 Mandatory Academic Requirement
Institutions must offer recognized programs in:
Animation
Visual Effects (VFX)
Multimedia / Digital Media
Game Design / Immersive Media
📎 Proof of approval (UGC/AICTE/Statutory Body) is mandatory
7.2 Infrastructure Requirement
Dedicated Animation/VFX/Immersive labs
Access to tools such as: Blender / Maya / Unity / Unreal / Adobe Suite
7.3 Faculty Requirement
Minimum 2 qualified faculty members in relevant domain
7.4 Mandatory Portfolio Submission
Institutions must submit minimum 3–5 completed works:
Animation projects
Student films
Interactive/gamified content (if available)
📎 Submission via links (Drive/YouTube/Vimeo) ❗ EOIs without portfolio will not be considered
Financial Norms & Administrative Conditions
Sponsorship & Governance
8.1 Industry Sponsorship
The project is fully sponsored by Grey FX Studio Private Limited.
8.2 No Overhead Charges (Mandatory Clause)
No overhead or institutional administrative charges shall be claimed by the participating institution. All infrastructural and laboratory support shall be treated as in-kind contribution, with no financial liability on the sponsoring agency.
8.3 Recruitment and Governance
Recruitment shall be conducted at institutional level, chaired by PI and Co-PI (if applicable).
8.4 Payment of Project Staff
Salaries/honoraria shall be paid directly by the sponsoring agency to project staff. No financial burden on the institution.
8.5 Institutional Support
Universities shall provide: Workspace, Laboratory facilities, and Academic supervision.
8.6 Eligibility for Engagement
Only students/scholars of the participating institution shall be eligible.
Evaluation, Selection & Expected Outcomes
How Will EOIs Be Evaluated?
EOIs will be evaluated by an Expert Committee based on the following criteria:
Portfolio Quality and Creativity
Demonstrated creative output and quality of submitted works
Technical Capability
Proficiency in relevant tools and production pipelines
Faculty Expertise
Qualifications and domain experience of faculty members
Infrastructure Readiness
Availability of dedicated labs and required software tools
Delivery Capacity
Ability to deliver batch-wise content units within the timeline
Shortlisted institutions may be invited for a Presentation / technical discussion followed by Final selection and work allocation.
Expected Outcomes & General Terms
Impact & Conditions
Expected Outcomes
Development of immersive, gamified educational content ecosystem
Strengthening of industry–academia collaboration
Enhancement of student employability and skill development
Contribution to digital learning and societal awareness initiatives
General Terms and Conditions
This EOI is non-binding
The sponsoring agency reserves the right to accept/reject any or all EOIs
The sponsoring agency reserves the right to allocate work to multiple institutions
Intellectual Property (IP) terms shall be defined separately