gaming: Budget 2022: What heads of MPL, WinZo and other gaming companies have to say

Sai Srinivas, co-founder and CEO, Mobile Premier League (MPL)
It is very encouraging to see that the Union Budget has taken into consideration some of the long-pending suggestions for the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) sector, while noting the strong potential this industry holds for employment-generation as well as taking ‘Made in India’ game titles global. We welcome the Finance Minister’s announcement to set up an AVGC Promotion Task Force to provide a much-needed boost to the sector. This announcement highlights the need to build capacity to serve both domestic and global markets, and is a strong indicator of the impetus that the government is willing to provide for its growth. It is also heartening to see the government’s commitment to work with the industry, allowing for a balanced approach that accommodates the needs of all stakeholders and strengthens the ecosystem holistically. A progressive tax regime, predictable regulatory framework and supportive funding policies will allow the industry to compete on the world stage. Moreover, it will also help develop a workforce of young and employable AVGC professionals to usher in the next tech revolution from within India.
Paavan Nanda, co-founder, WinZO
We welcome the Finance Minister’s announcement during Budget 2022 to set up an Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) task force with the objective of building domestic capacity to serve our markets and global demand. Gaming is a soon-to-be trillion-dollar industry, and it is heartening to see that the Government of India has acknowledged the exponential potential that this sector holds. As a giant step towards contributing to the same, WinZO launched the country’s first-ever national-level scholarship program called B.O.S.S (Battle of Super Scholars) and unveiled a $26M Game Developer’s fund with an aim to provide a platform to the best minds to disrupt this emerging global gaming industry. WinZO, as a leading game tech company, will be willing to work with public stakeholders to attract the best talent to this growing industry.
Sean Hyunil Sohn, Head- India Division KRAFTON Inc
The Union Budget 2022 is forward looking and inclusive in nature, especially with India’s video gaming industry set for tremendous growth in the coming years. We welcome the steps taken by the Government towards AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) promotion task force and furthering the vision of a thriving gaming ecosystem in India. This move will definitely work towards fostering local innovation, boost employment and job creation, and create new opportunities for upskilling of talent, such as gaming as a career. We eagerly await the development of the taskforce and hope for the momentum to continue and believe that 2022 will be a great year for the Indian gaming ecosystem.