Budget 2022: MPL CEO urges govt to set up fund for online gaming developers

At a time when the online gaming ecosystem is buzzing with investments, onboarding millions of gamers since the onset of pandemic, Mobile Premier League, India’s second gaming unicorn has urged the government to set up a fund to help the community grow in the upcoming Budget.
 
MPL’s CEO and co-founder, Sai Srinavas said that the industry will benefit from a fund that can provide capital to talented developers and designers, putting India on the path to becoming the hub for game development globally. Access to infrastructure will be crucial in this regard.
 
“This can be achieved by establishing specialised centres and universities for talented designers, visual artists, and developers who may have the capabilities but not the resources to build world-class games. We hope that this year will bring more clarity from a regulatory standpoint. Online skill gaming suffers from a lack of differentiation from prohibited categories and games of chance. A uniform policy will be welcome and provide much-needed stability to the sunrise sector,” he added.
 
The online gaming industry, particularly real-money games have been under tighter scrutiny over the past couple of years from respective state governments with bans in place. With an absence of regulatory clarity, the industry has sought a code of conduct for the platforms to help them grow. In addition, the higher tax rates have also been a cause of concern for the industry.

“'The online skill gaming and esports industry has been one of the very few sectors that has not just weathered the pandemic-induced slowdown, but has witnessed exponential growth. The industry is bound to grow even further, opening up new career opportunities for both gamers and game developers, and helping take Made in India games to the world,” Srinavas added.
 
“As we look ahead, we hope the government of India will introduce measures to adequately support this next phase of growth. Online skill gaming companies, which have flourished amid phenomenal investor interest, are well-placed to create jobs in roles ranging from VFX designing to software development. The Budget should consider levying a lower tax slab than the existing 18 per cent to aid this. With esports a medal event at the Asian Games, and continuing to gain prominence, this will also help incentivise a greater number of professionals to get into esports and represent the country at global tournaments of this stature,” he said.