The Karnataka government has embarked on an ambitious plan to make the State a skill epicentre for animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR) that can support the growth of the sector nationally and globally, revealed Priyank Kharge, Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology here on Friday.
According to the Minister, active collaboration between the industry, government and academia is required to develop the proposed AVGC-XR skill epicentre. “The Bengaluru/ Karnataka has all the right elements to become big in AVGC-XR. Such an epicentre will also comprise incubators, accelerators, IP creators and R&D activities,’‘ he said.
He urged the industry players to work towards making the AVGC-XR skill epicentre a reality for Bengaluru and Karnataka. “I am promising my undivided attention and full support from the ministry to accomplish this task,’‘ he assured.
The Minister further said the upcoming GAFX Conference in January 2024, the country’s most prominent exposition for the games, animation and visual effects industry jointly hosted by the State and ABAI, the industry apex body, could further put the sector in the global spotlight and thereby the event could play an instrumental role in building momentum towards achieving the goal.
The Minister agreed that the country’s gaming industry was going through a rough patch, adding if any government could understand the woes of the sector it would only be Karnataka.
“The sector, which is currently in the $4 billion range, is expected to double in the next two years. So a quantum leap is expected, and we are determined to give it a fillip,’‘ he said.
As a primary step towards building a skill epicentre, the State government has announced the launch of GameTech Accelerate, its maiden accelerator programme for the sector in association with Games24x7, an online skill gaming platform.
“This initiative aims to foster innovation and catalyse growth within the dynamic realm of online gaming. Through the accelerator programme, Games24x7 will help identify and mentor ventures offering innovative and viable solutions, bridging them to investors who are keen to back the sector,’‘ said Rajat Bansal, CTO, Games24x7.
Good at jugaad
Earlier speaking at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2023, Anuraag Saxena, Chief Executive Officer, E Gaming Federation, said Indians were fundamentally good at being jugaad as we inherently have the ability to “self form”, “attain shape”, and offer value.
Ashish Kulkarni, Founder, Punnaryug Artvision and Chairman, AVGC&XR Forum-FICCI said although the country’s animation and gaming sector had a modest beginning over a couple of decades ago, the sector has been growing exponentially in the last 10 years.
“India has taken gaming and storytelling to the next level. We are the oldest storytellers, and we will remain as the largest storyteller in the world,’‘ Kulkarni added.
According to Biren Ghose, Country Head in India, Technicolor Creative Services, a French firm that runs production studios such as The Mill, MPC, Mikros Animation, and Technicolor Games, the industry faced some real hurdles in attracting talent.
“We have not been able to convince the parents yet that their children could join the AVGC-XR and make a colourful global career. For the rapid expansion of the industry, correction of certain perceptions is also,’‘ he insisted.
The State has over 30,000 people who are already working in the AVGC-XR space, in addition to thousands of job aspirants and students who are learning related courses. However, due to lack of support from the family some are unable to pursue careers in AVGC-XR.
