PM comes out in support of gaming, says no regulation needed

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The gaming industry just got boost from none other than the prime minister Narendra Modi. While meeting a few of the gamers on Saturday, Modi said the gaming industry does not need any regulation. It will boom only when it is free, Modi told the gamers.

In a free-wheeling interaction with top Indian online gamers on a host of issues about the future as well as the challenges before the e-gaming industry, the prime minister posed questions to the gamers while trying his hands at some of the games.

There has been lot of controversy on taxing gaming. GST of 28% is applied on gaming, whether its is game of skill or game of chance.

When a gamer Naman Mathur asked Modi if there was any need for regulations for the gaming sector, he said regulate wouldn’t be the right word because it is the government’s nature to intervene.

“There are two things — either you try to impose restrictions under a law or try to understand and mould it based on our country’s needs and bring it under an organised and legal structure and uplift its reputation,” the prime minister said.

“My attempt is to uplift the nation to a level that by 2047 the government is out of the lives of middle-class families in particular. Our life is stuck in paperwork. It is the poor who need the government, the government should be there with them in difficult times,” he added.

Another gamer Animesh Agarwal said the government should recognise esports and gaming as a mainstream sport.

“It is a skill-based gaming and does not involve gambling. Once it is established and understood by all government bodies, including those involved in financial transactions, it will be really beneficial. As you said, the industry does not need a regulation. We should let it grow freely. With a little push, the industry will be ready,” he told the prime minister.

To this, Modi replied, “It (esports and gaming) does not require any regulation. It must remain free, only then it will boom.” The prime minister sought to know from the gamers about how they deal with the conflict between gaming and gambling. The gamers also discussed with the prime minister certain terminologies used in the industry such as “noob” and “grind”.

Tirth Mehta, a gamer from Gujarat’s Kutch, said, “People feel that we play games to pass the time. We play games that are really different from the others, but people think they are as easy as ludo… We play games that are as complex as chess and demand mental and physical skills”.

During the interaction, Modi said, “People have offered different solutions. I have an alternative solution called Mission LIFE which advocates for changing our daily lifestyle to benefit the environment.” “Now, envision a game aimed at addressing global climate issues where the gamer must explore various methods and solutions to identify the most sustainable approach. What are these steps? How do we navigate through it and choose the best approach for success? “Take swachhata as an example. The game theme could revolve around cleanliness and every child should play this game. Youngsters should embrace Indian values and understand their true significance,” the prime minister said.

Gamers Tirth Mehta, Animesh Agarwal, Anshu Bisht, Naman Mathur, Mithilesh Patankar, Ganesh Gangadhar, and Payal Dhare had a half-an-hour-long interactive session with Modi. (With inputs from PTI)