KOCHI: The animation industry has come of age and the world demand for Indian animation is growing at a rapid pace. But the country is unable to cash in on this opportunity due to acute shortage of trained manpower.

The National Association of Software and Services Company (NASSCOM), the organization which monitors the software industry, says that the country is facing a whooping shortage of 1.5 lakh people, though the industry is growing at an incredible rate of 30 per cent annually.

The big jump in growth is triggered by the wider application now. Earlier, it was generally used in visual entertainment industry. But now it is widely used in aerospace, automobile and pharmaceutical sectors as well.

Against this backdrop, Mumbaibased Framebox, a fast growing brand in animation and visual effect training field, is spreading its wings and adding new products. Founder Director Naveeen Gupta said that the firm is planning to open 25 more institutes in addition to the existing 20 centres across the country, spanning from Chandigarh to Kochi.

It will open more centres in Hyderabad, Vizag, Secunderabad, Hubli, Mysore, two units in Chennai, a new one in Coimbatore and also in Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Kannur in Kerala. "This apart, we are launching an online training programme which is slated to be launched on April 10," he said.

The firm also plans to expand its operations to Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Middle East, where also the demand for trained animation personnel is very high.

Gupta claimed that all centres were equipped with lab, modeling studio and the latest computer software to keep pace with the changing trend.