Indian government has announced plans to set up the country’s first Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Online Gaming in Shillong by March 2023.

India Embracing Online gaming in unprecedented way

The CoE will be set up under Digital India Startup Hub through the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) which came into being 1991 as an autonomous society in the field of Science and Technology under the MeitY.

The Centre in Meghalaya is all set to catalyse startups and entrepreneurs from the entire North East Region to build the Next Gen Online Gaming ecosystem. The Center is expected to be completed by March. 

Apart from the establishment of CoE, setting up a state-of-the-art facility under the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT) in Shillong to provide training on cutting-edge digital skills is another initiative of the government. A 10-acre campus shall soon be ready for this purpose which shall cater to the skilling requirement of youth in the North East Region.

Scope of the Online Gaming Industry in India

India has one of the largest markets for the gaming business. The gaming industry of the country is predicted to continue its upward trajectory.

A report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Sequoia India suggests that the Indian mobile gaming industry will be worth $5 billion in 2025. However, the flip side of the online gaming is the ubiquitous presence of violent and unregulated content. The government is taking steps to address these risks and ensure a safe and trusted ecosystem for the online gaming industry.

According to a report by Lumikari, India has 507 million gamers in FY 2022.  India is also home to more than 900 gaming companies.

Re-Launching Skill India through PMKVY 4.0

The MeitY is re-launching Skill India through Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 4.0. This is being done because importance of the digital skills is gaining importance especially in the post-Covid world. PMKVY 4.0 will train around 50,000 youth in Meghalaya in future-ready skills with industry-backed job opportunities.

The MeitY has set a target to skill around 60,000 youth in Tripura and 35,000 in Nagaland under PMKVY 4.0.