The gaming industry in India has seen exponential growth over time and the pioneers are Indian gamers obviously, but have you thought of actually educating yourself in gaming? Yes, Hero Vired, India’s premium LearnTech Company for professionals and higher education aspirants, last year launched its Certificate Program in Gaming and Esports.
This one-of-its-kind program is offered in collaboration with leading gaming and esports company, NODWIN Gaming. It is a comprehensive program for aspirants who wish to pursue a career in gaming and esports and will prepare enrollees for several roles in the gaming and esports industry, such as game designing, visualising, publishing, league operations, team ownership & management, live production, and content creation, etc.
We are always eager to know what this certification course is all about and what will it bring to gamers, so, though on paper the course looks lucrative, here in the interview with the Founder himself, Akshay Munjal, we will talk about how a certification course like this makes sense in India and to whom it’s targeted towards.
As you know, backed by the pioneer Hero Group, Akshay Munjal is also the director of BML Munjal University, a place where a lot of students actually aim for their higher education. This course comes with a 100% job guarantee as the enrollees will be offered internships and jobs with NODWIN Gaming before the completion of the program and anyone above the age of 18 years can enrol in the program.
Akshay Munjal, Founder & CEO of Hero Vired says why in India a certification course like this is absolutely essential
Enough talk on paper, let’s hear from the Founder of Hero Vired, Akshay Munjal himself:
Why does anyone need a certification course to help them excel in gaming and esports? How does it apply in the Indian context?
The gaming and eSports industry has seen tremendous growth in the last few years. India has the second largest number of internet users, along with increasing access to relatively affordable smart devices. Bolstered by these factors, the Indian esports industry is expected to grow with a CAGR of 45% to reach INR 11 billion by 2025, according to an EY Report ‘Ready. Set. Game ON!’. This is the perfect catalyst for the rise of gaming companies, which will need a workforce which is equipped to meet the demands.
India today has over 450 gaming companies and 450 mn gamers across age groups, second only to China globally. However, there is very limited awareness today both amongst parents and the youth regarding the rapidly evolving opportunities in this sector. This program is a conscious endeavour to help bridge this gap. There are many aspirants who need a structured learning approach which will enable them to be employable in the sector or pursue entrepreneurship. The gaming course will serve as a good starting point to get acquainted with the fundamentals of the gaming industry and gain some insight into its working through a hands-on approach.
What’s the curriculum offered for this Hero Vired certification course in gaming and esports? How long is its duration? What’s the total cost?
This is a one-of-its-kind certification program offered in partnership with NODWIN Gaming. It is a comprehensive, six-month-long program for aspirants which will prepare them for several roles in the gaming and esports industry, such as game designing, visualising, publishing, league operations, event ownership and management, live production, content creation, etc. It begins with a two-month primer on gaming and esports, and for the remaining four months, the learners can choose between gaming and eSports as a specialisation.
The program is priced at INR 4 lacs, however, 50% of the program fee can be directly recovered through a unique guaranteed five-month internship upon completing the course.
How’s the Hero Vired certification course unique or different from multi-year game design or game programming diplomas offered by traditional education institutes as well as online MOOCs?
One of our strengths that differentiates us from traditional educational institutes and online MOOCs is our focus on live delivery and deep industry linkages. We work closely with industry leaders, partners and experts to understand the required skill set. Moreover, the program will enable aspirants to start their careers in the gaming industry as it comes with a job guarantee. It also has comprehensive career services, which will train aspirants in resume-building, polishing their LinkedIn profile, and preparing for a mock interview.
The program also offers many opportunities for the learners to interact with industry professionals across the spectrum of gaming & esports and gain a first-hand account of how the industry works. Moreover, we believe in a customised approach to learning and strive towards understanding the skill set of each learner and map their aspirations towards the opportunities. Lastly, this program ends with a guided industry project which is supported by industry experts. Interestingly, depending on the quality some learners will get the opportunity to publish the games they have developed on a publisher’s platform.
How are you collaborating with gaming companies to offer a functional, useful and well-rounded gaming and esports course?
As I mentioned above, one of our strengths is our industry connect. We are closely collaborating with industry experts and partners to understand the skillsets in demand and prepare learners for futuristic roles. While designing this program, we collaborated with leading local and international studios and publishing houses to understand the gaps, and the program will aim to bridge this gap. In addition to NODWIN, the program has UNITY, NSDC, and MESC as certificate partners and GameEon, HolyCow Productions, Godspeed Games, and Moonfrog as industry partners. The learning opportunity enabled by the program is vast and is the perfect foundation to kickstart a lucrative career in esports.
What has been the reaction of students and aspirants to enrol for this Hero Vired certification course in gaming and esports?
We have received an overwhelming response from aspirants, and we are enthused to see the passion and interest shown in this new-age program. It has attracted a very diverse set of learners from different walks of life, such as law, engineering, animation, textile design, tourism etc. and are at different stages in their careers. The first batch is completely sold out, and we have now opened enrolments for the second batch.
How will Hero Vired’s certification course help students excel and succeed in the gaming and esports industry?
This unique and comprehensive program is in line with Hero Vired’s vision to offer industry-first, new-age programs across immersive and futuristic sectors and make learners future-ready. With the best-in-class industry partners, we aim to equip all interested students with the desired knowledge and skills to excel in this fast-growing industry. Learners who opt for gaming as a specialisation will be offered roles such as game developer, game artist, game designer, game audio engineer, etc. The ones who pursue esports as a specialisation will be offered roles in league operations, community management, game marketing, event management, etc.
What are your thoughts on the state of gaming and esports in India? What is the biggest challenge and opportunity for Indian gaming to reach newer heights?
2022 has been the most exciting year for gaming and esports enthusiasts globally. The first-ever Commonwealth Esports Championship being held earlier this year is testimony to the fact that it is being considered a serious form of the sport by everyone. In fact, India’s stellar performance was acknowledged with a bronze medal win by the Indian DOTA 2 squad!
The pandemic spurred the growth of India’s gaming and esports industry. During the lockdown, millions picked up gaming recreationally, with some even making it a full-time profession. The lockdown increased the average daily screen time, which provided a fillip to the industry.
Over the years, affordable smartphones, deeper penetration of internet connectivity, the emergence of new-age technologies, and, more recently, the advent of 5G have fuelled the growth of the industry.
There has also been a tremendous increase in the number of gamers from Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities in India, primarily mobile gaming. Moreover, many of these recreational gamers are women who picked it up as a hobby during the lockdown but have continued to pursue it even now.
The biggest challenge gamers pose, nowadays, is the high price of gaming hardware and software. Often, the success of a game is directly related to its visuals and graphics. This requires aspiring gamers to invest heavily in hardware and software capable of delivering these visuals. The challenge of highly-priced gaming hardware has unearthed a unique opportunity for entrepreneurship. India is starting to see a surge in the number of gaming cafes, a mega business opportunity, given its ability to entertain audiences at a fraction of the cost. The advent of 5G, the emergence of new-age technology, including Augmented Reality, and, more recently, the Metaverse imply that the industry is poised for a bright future.
Inspired by his words? Go check out Hero Vired’s gaming certification course by yourself from here, and for any doubts make sure to drop a comment below. Keep following us for more such insightful interviews in future…😎
