New Delhi: The Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajiv Chandrasekhar, said that India’s first Center of Excellence for online gaming will be established in Shillong. India’s Digital Startup Center with India’s Software Technology Parks will establish India’s first Center of Excellence in Online Gaming in Shillong by March 2023. The Meghalaya Center of Excellence in Shillong is expected to motivate startups and entrepreneurs to build the next Gen Online Gaming ecosystem. “It is the vision of Chief Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji that the next wave of startups and entrepreneurs should come from Shillong, Kohima and other parts of the North East,” Chandrasekhar was quoted as saying while interacting with reporters in Shillong on Friday.
Read also | Tim Cook pay cut: Apple’s CEO has cut his salary by 40% for the year
The Minister also highlighted the importance of digital skills post-Covid, as the rate of digitization of products, services and devices continues around the world. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) recently distributed draft amendments to the IT Rules 2021 regarding online gaming for public consultation. The ministry also released draft amendments to the Information Technology Broker Rules 2021, related to online games, for public consultations.
Read also | Adidas loses court battle against Thom Browne in a 4-Stripes logo debate
The draft was prepared to ensure that online games are presented in accordance with Indian laws and protect the users of such games from any potential harm, the project proposed a self-regulatory mechanism which may, in the future, regulate internet content. Games and ensuring that games do not contain violent, addictive or sexual content.
Right now, the minimum age is 18, and the government would like to keep it that way and see if the current framework expands the innovation ecosystem around online games while keeping them safe and reliable for users. Roughly 40 to 45 percent of gamers in India are women, he said, and thus, it was very important to maintain the integrity of the gaming ecosystem.