Bengaluru, Jan 31 (IANS): Priyank Kharge, Karnataka Minister for IT, BT and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, said on Wednesday that the state intends to launch a Centre of Excellence for gaming wherein it will have a complete ecosystem of hardware, software, innovators and the government on the same platform.

Speaking at the Games24x7 Accelerator Programme at GAFX 2024 in Bengaluru, he said, “We will have the most successful CoE in gaming being run from Karnataka.”

Kharge also said that this year, Karnataka will host one of the biggest game developer conferences, followed by an e-gaming summit.

Karnataka intends to keep its leadership position in the AVGC sector intact by fostering innovation and giving thrust to creation of IPs, he said.

The state wants to foster not only innovation, but also creation of IPs within the sector so that more and more people come into the sector.

“For Karnataka, it is important to maintain the leadership position and we want to be the AVGC capital and the creative capital for the country as well,” the minister said.

Kharge also said that if the AVGC sector is nurtured well, it has the potential to create employment across various verticals within the gaming sector.

"Currently the industry employs close to 1 lakh people, directly and indirectly. By 2025, it has the potential to go up to 2.5 lakh people. I want to ensure that Bengaluru and Karnataka anchor this story of employment in this sector,” he said.

India had close to 1,400 online gaming startups last year with more than 430 crore app downloads.

At this year’s GAFX, industry leaders suggested three initiatives so that startups and gaming disruptors in the sector get a better opportunity to showcase their IPs and talent to the audience across the globe, and not just in Karnataka -- Skilling in the industry, incubation centers and B2B platforms.

“If these startups have the potential for a great success rate to disrupt the industry, the government of Karnataka would think of funding these,” the minister said.