Hyderabad: Key government figures, including Telangana IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu and Tamil Nadu IT Minister Dr Palanivel Thiagarajan underlined the importance of collaboration of the Centre and states for nurturing talent, infrastructure, and innovation in the video gaming and interactive entertainment industry at the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) on Thursday.
Telangana To Bring AVGC-XR 2.0
Telangana is gearing up to launch its AVGC-XR 2.0 policy by January 2025, Babu confirmed during a media roundtable, aiming to advance India’s animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality (AVGC-XR) industry. This updated policy is designed to be more appealing to startups and innovators, positioning them to become significant players on the global stage.
The state envisions attracting a substantial share of AVGC sector investment, with support from the central government. According to Babu, the 2.0 policy aims to boost entrepreneurship and innovation in the sector, with a particular emphasis on responsible gaming and ethical practices.
Through these efforts, Telangana hopes to foster an environment conducive to rapid growth and global competitiveness for India’s AVGC industry.
Focus On Policy At IGDC
On Day 2 of IGDC, discussions began with policy roundtables featuring the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) board members, top executives from leading gaming companies like Nazara Technologies, Playsimple, Super Gaming, and others, along with policymakers. These sessions focused on formulating strategies crucial for India’s gaming sector growth.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Special Secretary Neerja Sekhar built on Wednesday’s discussions with MIB Secretary Sanjay Jaju by advocating for a premier game development school and gaming courses in leading tech, design, and arts institutions. This initiative aims to address the industry’s talent needs and create a robust talent pipeline for game development in India.
Centres Of Excellence In Telangana, Tamil Nadu
As mentioned earlier, the conference also saw active participation from Tamil Nadu and Telangana state officials, who pitched for the establishment of regional Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in their states. These CoEs would focus on research, development, and training within the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sector, serving as regional hubs for interactive media.
GDAI signed MoUs with several state governments, including Rajasthan and Sikkim, reflecting its commitment to supporting regional gaming industries.
A key highlight was the release of the Incubator White Paper, a strategic framework for setting up incubators across the country. Jointly launched by Tamil Nadu IT Minister Dr Thiagarajan and MIB Special Secretary Neerja Sekhar, the paper outlines steps for nurturing intellectual property and supporting early-stage gaming start-ups.
Ministers from Telangana and Tamil Nadu spoke on the healthy competition between states to attract global gaming companies and local talent, each striving to become a hub for gaming studios through supportive policies and talent-building efforts.
The discussions at IGDC 2024 emphasised the need for coordinated efforts involving the central government and cross-ministry collaboration, including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Commerce, to drive India’s emergence as a prominent player in the global gaming industry.
