20/02/2010 Press Release With urbanization, changes in people's needs, and shifts in thinking patterns, the gaming-animation sector has gained significant importance. As a result, this sector has rapidly expanded in our country over the last four years. The sector has managed to sustain itself and progress due to low costs and the availability of skilled professionals. However, just as the IT services sector received governmental support in its initial stages, the gaming-animation industry also requires similar backing. Given its potential to generate significant employment opportunities, it is essential to provide assistance to this sector. Therefore, the gaming-animation industry is waiting for the finance minister to announce a special policy with incentives and subsidies. To establish production studios, companies should be given dedicated clusters in major cities like Hyderabad. This would help reduce production costs and allow companies to focus on intellectual property, quality, and marketing aspects. According to NASSCOM estimates, in the coming years, 300,000 skilled professionals will be needed for the gaming-animation industry. To meet this demand, gaming-animation courses should be introduced at the university level. Students who complete these courses should be directly employable, and to achieve this, a specialized academy is urgently needed. The government should take the initiative to set up such academies. Countries like the UK, Canada, and the Philippines have seen positive results with similar policies. The central government should reduce customs duties on gaming console hardware and software. Additionally, there should be tax relief or a "tax holiday" for the sector. If such decisions are made in the budget, it will greatly benefit the industry. (Author: MD, 7Seas Technologies) -press release