After nearly 10 years of wait, game developers and animators can now hope for a space of their own in Andhra Pradesh. They can start work in a plug-and-play facility being set up by the Andhra Pradesh Government.

Even as it prepares plan for the Rs 230-crore Game City, the Government has decided to kick-start the game and animation development activity.

It is converting some ‘unoccupied space’ in a building at the IT hub Madhapur into a facility that can be utilised by start-up companies in the gaming, animation and special effects fields.

“The Government has identified 23,000 sq ft of space at a building in Madhapur. In association with AP Industrial Infrastructure Corporation, the IT Ministry is sprucing up the facility to house small companies. It can house companies as small as one-two seats,” K. Basi Reddy, President of Association of Animation, VFX, Comics and Gaming Industry, told Business Line.

Game Policy

The IT Ministry has decided to make the association to act as a single point reference for the industry and help it identifying the right candidates to benefit from the proposed AP Game (Gaming, Animation, Media and Entertainment) Policy 2013-15. The draft policy is being circulated among the relevant Ministries for approvals.

Besides extending all the benefits offered by the State IT Policy, the Game Policy proposes to give incentives to short-film makers. This also includes providing free bandwidth.

“The Madhapur facility will be inaugurated on August 15. In fact, the response has been overwhelming. It would require 60,000 sq ft of space to accommodate all of them. We have requested the Government to look for additional space,” Basi Reddy said.

The newly-formed association will soon connect with the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) to work on the issues related to the industry.

kurmanath.kanchi@thehindu.co.in

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