The gaming industry, which currently lacks regulation, may soon have its own, with the government looking at it with a serious lens. “The stakeholders in their consultations with the government have suggested a soft-touch regulation,” Vikram Sahay, joint-secretary, ministry of I&B, said. Sahay was speaking at the India Gaming Summit 2022 by Financial Express Digital in Delhi, on Friday. “The gaming industry requires a push not only from people but also the government,” Sahay added.
Furthermore, Vinay Thakur, MD, National Informatics Centre, government of India, added that the AVGC Task Force, which has been set up by the government, has proposed that there should be legislation on the gaming sector pan-India instead of every state coming out with its own laws in the upcoming Gaming Bill, which is estimated to come into effect soon. “Everyone was under a misconception that gaming is equivalent to gambling as the sector is the state’s subject and has its own legislations on this sector. There are 42-crore active gamers in the country and a pan-India legislation will enable them to thrive,” he added.
Thakur further stated that gaming as a sector currently holds sixth position in the world in terms of revenue generated. In CY2021, the sector accounted for Rs 7,000 crore in revenues and this is estimated to rise to Rs 15,000 crore by 2024. Similarly, the sector has provided employment opportunities to about 44,000 people in 2022, recording a rise of 60% from 25,000 people working back in 2017.
Moreover, industry experts opined that gaming has now become a serious career option. “As the monetisation opportunities become a lot more stronger, more people have begun considering gaming as a serious career option,” Khalid Wani, senior director, sales, India, Western Digital, said.
While talking about a career in gaming, it is also imperative to note that there is a need to train people and engage with global talent for upskilling. “The gaming industry has a lot of potential. To have the skill gap demand fulfilled, we have to train people, and secondly, it is important to engage with global talents,” Abhishek Ravi, chief information officer, Dream Sports, claimed.
As far as PC gaming is concerned, the segment is estimated to clock nearly $106 million by the end of CY2022. “Yet, it failed to gain popularity among the gaming community due to lack of enablers for the masses,” Nitin Goel, country manager, Indian sub-continent, Gameloft, said.
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