India's gaming community welcomes Union Budget

While presenting the Budget 2022-2023, Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that there will be a stress on Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comic (AVGC) as it offers immense potential to employ youth.

"An AVGC promotion task force, with all stakeholders, will be set up to recommend ways to realize this and build domestic capacity for serving out markets and the global demand," Sitharam said in her budget speech on Tuesday.

She also mentioned spectrum auctions for 5G will happen soon for the rollout of 5G services in 2022-23

Below are the quotes by some of the Indian E-sports personalities on the budget:

Mr. Vishwalok Nath, Director, World Esports Cup

We welcome the steps that the finance minister of India as part of Budget 2022-2023 including the creation of the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comic (AVGC) task force. We hope that this task force can help promote the creation of a robust infrastructure for game development with gradual benefits to the esports community. We are also looking forward to the 5G spectrum auction this year. 5G can further promote the latest innovations and mass adoption of technologies like cloud gaming in the country.

There is a huge scope of employment for the youth in the gaming industry, Esports/Video Games is a versatile industry and there is a huge scope for professional gamers as well as other jobs like casters, commentators, and other support staff appointed by the esports tournaments like producers, editors, analysts, product managers, game testers, referees, production crew members, event managers, social media managers, etc.

Mr. Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India & Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF)

It is encouraging to finally see the seriousness from our Government towards this sector which has been long neglected. This will definitely help in setting up the policies which would encourage and build our capacities and capabilities to export to the rest of the world; leading to more domestic video game development studios and more investments in the AVGC sector. Spectrum auctions for 5G is a welcome move for the gaming industry as well, 5G can disrupt the industry is by enhancing the live streaming of games and cloud gaming as well.

The task force should consist largely of people who have been part of the "Video Game" industry and are playing an active role in shaping up the Indian video game industry.

Mr. Sagar Nair, Co-Founder & CEO, Qlan, The Gamer's Social Network

It is this continued acceptance that will lead to the progress of the Indian gaming and esports industry. First was esports' entry in the Asian Games as an official event followed by a government-dedicated task force to work with the AVGC sector. I have no doubt that these initiatives as part of the national budget policy highlight the true potential of the Indian gaming & esports segment not only in India but also on the global circuit.

The statement clearly indicates the backing of homegrown game developers, tournament organizers, and esports companies and recommendations from the appointed task force will help build domestic capacity for serving out markets and the global demand as well.