All India Gaming Federation is a registered non-profit society that focuses on bringing recognition of the online skill gaming industry in India.
The gaming industry in India is growing at an exponential rate and is projected to become one of the most profitable sectors in the country. Huge investments have been attracted to the country and the scope for growth is increasing owing to the innovation and development in the industry. This rise of the real money skill gaming industry has also provided the Indian youth with unconventional yet profitable career opportunities like professional gamers, data scientist, UI/UX analysts amongst others. A recent report by EY & FICCI has noted that this segment will create 40,000 new jobs by 2022.
With such opportunities in the market, it is important for the sector to be centrally regularised. In the past, AIGF the apex industry body for Online skill gaming in India with the help of its robust advisory panel, Chief justices, and even Member of Parliament has been working towards bringing recognition to the industry and have requested a central regulatory framework for the Online Gaming industry.
In an exclusive interview with TechnoSports, Roland Landers from All India Gaming Federation tells us about the job market in the Gaming industry and the need to have a centralized regulatory body
We asked a few questions to which Roland Landers has answered. Here’s what he told us:
1. How is the Gaming industry creating direct and indirect jobs?
The online gaming industry has gathered tremendous interest in the past few years. The phenomenal growth of this sector has created massive employment, through direct and indirect jobs. The gaming ecosystem is made up of 500+ companies ranging from gaming platforms to game developers & designers. There are direct jobs creation here for general roles in marketing, sales, CRM etc. Likewise in the Esports industry there are roles ranging from coaching, commentary, content creation, management and much more. Indirect jobs are generated from ancillary sectors such as telecommunications, fintech, payments and banking, IT, data science and real estate to name a few.
2. What are the rising trends in the online gaming industry?
The online gaming sector in India has witnessed an exponential growth in the last few years. It has started growing rapidly and now has a user base of around 360 million which is projected to grow faster than the global online gaming segment. Gaming has become more real time and social, it will be also revolutionizing the investments trends in India leading to technological advancements. Some of the biggest trends in 2021 have been:
- Gaming is becoming more interactive, immersive and social.
- Gaming technologies are becoming more affordable
- The emphasis has shifted to localized themes and games. Many indigenous game developers are building titles in multiple local languages for customized content.
- The introduction of cloud gaming services Arcade and Stadia.
- Advancement in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR)
- Smartphone penetration with affordable & faster data
- Growth of Digital ecosystem for payments
- Growing investments in the sector
Increased recognition and growing popularity amongst the youngsters have made it a valuable career option
This phenomenal change in online gaming has given way to numerous tech trends which will be ruling the roost in the coming years.
3. Is there a need for a centralized regulatory body?
Currently, the gaming industry follows a self-regulatory model which incorporates the necessary checks and balances to ensure sufficient responsible gaming and protection of gamers. Regulating this sunrise sector can boost investment trends in states, create jobs and contribute economically.
The Indian gaming industry over the years have been working to bring the due attention to this sunrise sector. As an industry body, AIGF has been at the forefront of ensuring global best practices for its stakeholders through the self-regulation skill games charter that covers all aspects of the online business process. AIGF’s self-regulatory mechanism needs to be recognized and strengthened for uniformity.
Some of the initiatives that need to be considered are; Instead of taking restrictive actions against online skill gaming States should aim to collaborate positively with industry stakeholders to develop regulatory a model that is in the best interest of all parties involved. AIGF and its advisory panel of domain experts will be very happy to assist in playing a consultative role with the relevant policy makers for the same.
4. Tell us your view on ‘Technological advancement a game-changer for the online gaming industry’.
The Indian online gaming industry is thriving in terms of users, revenue, investments, etc. The increased use of pocket-friendly gadgets like smartphones made it easy to access data whilst proliferation of digital payment applications have benefited the growth of this industry. The unrelenting ‘Covid’ pandemic was in reality a test of the sector’s robustness and determination to grow despite the constraints.
India is predominantly a smartphone-first market, with audiences preferring mobile gaming and esports over other devices. With the passage of time, the Indian online gaming industry has matured, and players are branching out beyond handheld devices. Moreover, the amelioration of technology has further influenced online gaming, to the point that certain gamers have softened the boundaries between realism and fiction.
This industry is driven profusely by Mobile Gaming technology and in recent years, the advancement of innovations such as machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR), among others have intensified. Technology innovations are changing the world with the market metamorphosing and expanding through many of its verticals, including Esports, fantasy sports, card games, and other skill-based educational gaming businesses.
About Roland Landers – All India Gaming Federation’s CEO
Roland is the CEO of All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) the apex body for the Indian Gaming Industry, which as per a KPMG report is estimated at 60 billion USD.
Roland is an accomplished leader from the Media, Entertainment and Sport Industries with over 23 years of experience in Business Strategy, Marketing, Brand Management, Sponsorship and Sales. His last assignment was of the Chief
Brand Officer at Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited.
Roland has built leading global media brands, statistical systems and created strong Intellectual Properties (IP’s) in Sports and Media. He has managed the launch of “Sportshero” India’s first online Fantasy Gaming Brand in 2009. He is a keen student of digital marketing and social media marketing, digital content creation and delivery platforms.
Roland is strategic, proficient in Brand Valuation methodologies fascinated with ideas and has built strong relationships with the World’s best speakers in Academia, Media and Marketing Communications.
Roland is a guest speaker at some of the leading Management Institutes in India and abroad.
