India`s first Centre of Excellence for online gaming will be set up in Shillong by March, 2023

India`s first Centre of Excellence for online gaming will be set up in Shillong.

New Delhi: India`s first Centre of Excellence for online gaming will be set up in Shillong, said the Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar. Digital India Startup Hub through the Software Technology Parks of India shall set up India`s first Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming in Shillong by March 2023. The Centre of Excellence in Meghalaya`s Shillong is expected to catalyse startups and entrepreneurs to build the Next Gen Online Gaming ecosystem."It is the vision of PM Shri Narendra Modi ji that the next wave of startups and entrepreneurs must come from Shillong, Kohima and other parts of the Northeast", Chandrasekhar was quoted as saying during an interaction with journalists in Shillong on Friday.

The minister also highlighted the importance of Digital Skills post Covid, as the rate of digitalisation of products, services, and devices continues to increase worldwide. The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) recently circulated Draft amendments to the IT Rules 2021 in relation to online gaming for public consultation. The ministry further released draft amendments to the IT intermediary rules 2021, pertaining to online gaming for public consultations.

The draft has been prepared to ensure that online games are offered in conformity with Indian laws and that the users of such games be safeguarded against potential harm.The draft proposed a self-regulatory mechanism which, in future, may also regulate the content of online gaming and ensure that the games do not have violent, addictive or sexual content.

Currently, the age gating is 18 years and the government would like to keep it that way and see if the present framework works to expand the innovation ecosystem around online gaming while keeping it safe and trusted for users.Regarding safety concerns, the minister had earlier said around 40 to 45 per cent of the gamers in India are women and, hence, it was all the more important to keep the gaming ecosystem safe.