2024 & beyond: What can new NDA govt do for gamers

The country’s nascent gaming industry must, like most industries and their players, patiently wait to understand the new social fabric, which is set to emerge. As we continue to find our foothold, it is important to identify what the government can do to make things easier — consider it a wishlist if you must, but it’s important to drum one up.

A six-week election that spanned seven phases, followed by a week of counting, results, uncertainty and finally a coalition government at the Centre — as India prepares itself for negotiation, diplomacy and the search for common ground in everyday governance, so must its various sectors. The country’s nascent gaming industry must, like most industries and their players, patiently wait to understand the new social fabric, which is set to emerge. As we continue to find our foothold, it is important to identify what the government can do to make things easier — consider it a wishlist if you must, but it’s important to drum one up.

Riding the AI wave in silicon manufacturing

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The rise of Nvidia and its stock prices has been unparalleled as the GPU manufacturer has become a key player in the global buzz surrounding AI (generative and non-generative). If the buzz is set to continue and the demand for its graphic cards, GPUs, unique chips like the Nvidia Grace is likely to grow, could India, with its rising ambition in silicon manufacturing, provide Nvidia with the requisite resources to setup an IC foundry? In the process, could the move create jobs, uniquely skilled workers and allow for production of state-of-the-art GPUs in the country? If such an effort was possible, it would be great for the country’s computing aspirations, offer unparalleled resources to IT hubs in Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Pune, and who knows, maybe even allow me to buy an RTX 5090 or 6090 without import costs in the future. Wishful thinking, but why not? Offer clarity on online gaming rules This one is a bit tricky but necessary. The government must distinguish between games that allow players to bet on outcomes based on real-world events from digital games designed for fun and leisure. In other words, separate the various versions of Rummy and Dream11 from games like Hitwicket, Battle Stars and the forthcoming Indus. Decide whom to levy the 28 per cent tax on and let the rest of the industry find avenues to design meaningful experiences. Now is a good time to encourage game design initiatives and startups in the country and help them both in terms of policy and financial support.

create mechanisms for grievance redressal

stint saw issues raised on topics like ‘gaming jihad’, there is need for meaningful engagement with civil society, player communities, platforms like Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store, and the industry for creation of systems that can protect players as customers. It is also important that we create new regulations to protect India’s gaming community from loot boxes, aggressive micro transactions and enable the creation of mechanisms that allow the reversal of unintentional/ accidental overspending in games. Most countries have systems in place that allow charges to be disputed and reversed in a specific timeframe. Could something similar be implemented here?

Protection of player data and privacy

It is difficult to write this at a time when both the Aadhaar and the DigiYatra initiatives have transformed into nightmare initiatives plagued by data breaches that in-turn enable rampant identity theft and targeted phishing. However, it is important to understand that digital games collect a lot of personal information from their players along with location data. In a country like India where over 450 million (about 25 per cent of the country’s population) engage with digital games, it is important to create systems that regulate how games gather data and subsequently use it. A national policy is essential and its drafting must be a major concern. While the above-mentioned bucket list is anything but frivolous, it is important for the new government to accept and acknowledge that with one of the world’s largest player bases, the Indian gaming population is at risk without these measures being implemented. How we go about starting these conversations though will be a significant challenge.