‘Telangana Government aims to take strong steps to nurture the AVGC sector; contribute to making India a global superpower in the sector’ says, Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary for ITE&C and Industries & Commerce Departments of Government of Telangana
At the recently held India Gaming Convention 2024 in New Delhi, Shri Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications (ITE&C) and Industries & Commerce Departments of the Government of Telangana gave a keynote address, highlighting Telangana’s AVGC industry that has witnessed a massive growth and providing employment to ~35,000 people across 150 companies. He stated that Hyderabad, the state’s capital, has transformed into a VFX hub that lends support to large-scale entertainment industries from India and across the world.
He further added that Telangana in 2016 was the first state to come out with a dedicated AVGC policy. Investing in high-quality infrastructure was a priority for the Telangana government. Mr. Ranjan highlighted that the upcoming IMAGE tower, a 1.6 million sq. ft. facility will provide state-of-the-art production facilities as shared services to the AVGC sector. The IMAGE tower will also provide space for institutions to train talent in gaming, VFX, and animation. Taking concerted steps towards nurturing the AVGC sector is another crucial pillar in the Telangana government’s goal. Mr. Ranjan revealed that the government seeks regular feedback from the industry to ensure its game development curriculum remains at par with industry standards.
Mr. Ranjan stressed on the need to cultivate innovation and The Telangana VFX, Animation, and Gaming Association (TVAGA) plays a key role in establishing norms to tackle high attrition rates in the sector and facilitate discipline within the industry.
The IMAGE accelerator program includes premium plug and play co-working space for start-ups and offers access to the ecosystem which comprises IP owners, mentors, seed funding, investors and a platform to support GoToMarket strategy. This programme is jointly promoted by the Telangana government and the Government of India. A majority of the cohorts that graduated from the IMAGE accelerator program were gaming companies.
Mr. Ranjan has invited industry stakeholders to be part of the India Game Developers Conference which is to be held in Hyderabad from 13th-15th November, 2024. He added that the government is aware of the adverse consequences of gaming and shared that they can be addressed by deploying technology. Telangana has been able to frame a draft law to address this based on the national framework.
Mr. Jayesh Ranjan’s summary of Telangana’s thriving AVGC industry paints a bright picture for the sector’s future. The state has become a hub for globally competitive AVGC products and services and is set to play a key role in making India a global superpower in the Gaming, Visual Effects and Animation landscape.