New Delhi, October 16: Karnataka’s Minister for IT and Digital Economy, Priyank Kharge, emphasized the potential for job creation in the gaming industry and called for a regulatory framework to foster growth. Speaking at the Indian Gaming Convention (IGC) held at the Taj Palace in New Delhi on Tuesday, Kharge highlighted the sector’s economic potential and its ability to generate significant employment opportunities.
“Our gaming market is currently valued at around ₹16,500 crore, and it has the potential to grow to ₹34,000 crore in the next four to five years. This expansion could directly and indirectly create 2,50,000 new jobs,” Kharge said.
He urged both central and state governments to take the industry seriously by pushing for a conducive policy environment that promotes responsible gaming and skill development. “A regulatory framework will not only encourage responsible gaming but also provide a boost to employment and the economy in the long term,” he added.
Kharge noted that India already has 44 crore gamers and more than 2,000 startups operating in the gaming sector, underlining the industry’s significance.
Calling Karnataka the “innovation and skilling capital of the nation,” Kharge elaborated on the state’s efforts to build infrastructure supporting the gaming industry. “We’ve established centres of excellence in animation, visual effects, and graphics. We are also exploring the idea of a gaming accelerator. Given Karnataka’s position as the technology capital, it naturally becomes the gaming capital too,” he said.
The minister expressed optimism about Karnataka’s ability to become a hub for global intellectual properties (IPs) in the gaming space. “In the next two to three years, we aim to anchor innovation and skilling in this sector and see several global IPs being created from our state,” Kharge concluded.
