Esports Industry Seeks Fair Support from Government in Union Budget 2023
- Rohit Agarwal
The union budget 2023 is going to be tabled this February and the Indian Esports sector has a lot of expectations from the upcoming union budget announcement. The stakeholders are demanding supportive policies and fair budget amount towards growth of this sector. It would help the Indian gaming sector grow at faster pace and enable the market players as well as gamers’ community to grow further. Key leaders from the gaming sectors have expressed their views with DT on the upcoming budget. Take a look:
“We Hope That The Government Will Introduce Measures to Support The Next Phase of Growth in The Esports Sector”
“Government Can Allot A Decent Share Of The Budget For The Esports Industry”
While sharing the views upon expectations from upcoming budget, Richa Singh, Co-Founder and CEO of FanClash said, “No one can deny the fact that the esports and gaming industry has turned out to be the fastest-growing sectors in recent times. From business elites to the Indian Government, all are taking notice of the potential it holds for economic benefits. Adding to that, recognising esports as a sport has further added to its advantage.”
Richa continued, “It is tough to predict much, but it would help the esports sector if the government can allot a decent share of the budget for the esports industry. Indian Esports still has a long way to go and needs attention on funding for research and development, it needs reforms in tax incentives for game developers and esports organizations. More training centres need to be built, we need professional trainers and exchange programs which could be beneficial to strengthen their strategies and be prepared for international tournaments. Additionally, governments may also consider regulations and policies to support the growth of the industry to minimize risks of fraud, protect the rights of gamers and promote fair competition.”
“We Hope 2023 Budget Will Offer An Incentive For The Esports Ecosystem In The Country”
Rohit N Jagasia, Founder and CEO of Revenant Esports shared his thoughts on upcoming budget, “We hope the 2023 budget will take steps to not only empowering to the gaming industry but also offer an incentive for the esports ecosystem in the country. This would help bolster technological integration and investment in the infrastructure to create new possibilities for youngsters in the esports and video game sectors. As the gaming industry has been flourishing, we are hoping the Government this time would take notice to offer some more support and protect the interests of this sunrise industry. We definitely depend a lot on direct investments and these investors play a crucial role. We hope they can suggest minimum taxation costs for this segment to attract more investors.”
“The multisport event tag adds value to the credibility of our new-age sports i.e., esports like any other mainstream sport played in our country and we hope the prize pool winnings of our esports athletes should be exempted from Income tax just like any other sportsperson” concluded Rohit.
“The Budget Needs to Be Increased and Allocated Extensively for The Growth of Esports and The Training of Athletes”
The upcoming budget has raised the expectations of gaming sector and stakeholders are anticipating a good share of the budget for esports sector. In line with this, Vinod Tiwari, President, Esports Federation of India said, “We are expecting a favourable move from our government during the Union Budget. Esports in the Indian landscape is progressing. The multisport event tag adds value to the credibility of esports like any mainstream sport enjoyed in India attracting more companies to invest as stakeholders or advertisers. In my personal opinion, the budget needs to be increased and allocated extensively for the growth of esports and the training of athletes. We need to find ways Indian esports can be taken further to the global platform which is only possible with better infrastructure, financial aid, and the right environment to nurture these talents,”
“It would be a great advantage to the esports community if our government considers allocating the “Esports Development Fund” similar to countries like Malaysia, Korea etc. which would support Indian gaming studios to build esports video game titles based on Indian history/ethos. Our players need facilities/training centres, advanced gears, boot camps and coaching to be set, we need to provide the top coaches, and other facilities to ensure they get complete support and can perform their best. Not only the government but the Corporates should also start allocating budgets for esports,” concluded Vinod.
“We Are Hoping for Internet & Broadband Services to be Made Cheaper & More Accessible”
Commenting on the expectations from Union Budget 2023, Rohit Agarwal, Founder & Director, Alpha Zegus said, “There are 3 major expectations from the 2023 Union Budget. Firstly, there was a conversation a while ago about changing the GST slab from 18% to 28% for the online gaming segment. We genuinely hope this does not come into effect, since it would immensely affect our growing industry. We are currently on a gradually growing path of increasing in-app spending and purchases related to gaming. Making the slab 28% would set us back to square one.”
“Secondly, gaming – be it mobile or PC – requires hardware (semiconductors, batteries, etc). We are hoping there are some import duty relaxations on these items, or there is a bigger focus on the ‘Make In India’ initiative for these items. Any of these two actions will cause a drop in hardware cost, which will increase hardware accessibility and upgradability for gamers,” stated Rohit.
“Lastly, we are hoping for internet & broadband services to be made cheaper & more accessible. The greater majority of the Indian gaming audience is from Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns, and a slash in internet pricing would encourage more young adults to take up gaming,” concluded Rohit.
