Representatives of the gaming sector, in a panel discussion at ‘Mangaluru Technovanza 3.0’ organised by the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), have said that the educational institutions in the region should focus on imparting domain-specific training to students in the region.
Highlighting the potential of the sector at a session on ‘Gaming domain and gaming policy: Creating an edge for the emerging Mangaluru Cluster’ in Mangaluru on Tuesday, K Rajesh Rao, Founder of Dhruva Interactive and India Game Developer Conference (IGDC), said educational institutions from the region produce many students in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) sector.
Stating that the gaming sector requires programmers, designers, etc., he said there is a need to impart domain-specific training for game designing and programming. Educational institutions from the region should look into this matter and offer some courses for students, he said.
Stressing the need to build capacity in Mangaluru Cluster, he said the gaming sector should work with regional educational institutions.
Stating that the gaming sector has a human resource crunch, Rajesh Rao said a well-designed course will help get 100 per cent student placements.
Stating that talent is a main challenge for the sector, Shylaja Rao, General Partner at Ventana Ventures (a gaming-focussed VC), said there is a need to create more awareness about the opportunities in the gaming sector.
Ganesh Hande, Director of Product of Joyride Games, said gaming start-ups in Mangaluru Cluster can focus on niche skill areas in the gaming sector and work for some major companies.
Sudhir Kamath, Chief Operating Officer of Nazara Technologies Ltd, who participated in the panel discussion through virtual mode, said that mentorship and talent are also essential for the gaming sector to grow in the Mangaluru Cluster.
Rohith Bhat, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 99Games and Lead Industry Anchor of KDME’s Mangaluru Cluster, who moderated the session, said many gaming start-ups attending the national-level gaming events are from tier-2 and tier-3 centres.