India’s first center of excellence on online gaming to open in Shillong: Minister

The Center of Excellence in Shillong is expected to catalyze startups and entrepreneurs from India’s Northeast to create the next-gen online gaming ecosystem.

Interacting with reporters at a press conference in Shillong, Chandrasekhar said, “It is the vision of PM Narendra Modi that the next wave of startups and entrepreneurs should come from Shillong, Kohima and other parts of Northeast India.”

The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) recently circulated draft amendments to IT Rules 2021 with respect to online gaming for public consultation.

The minister also highlighted the importance of digital skills in the post-pandemic world, as the rate of digitization of products, services and equipment continues to increase across the world.

“Imparting digital skills to the youth in the North Eastern region so that they are able to access jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities in the rapidly growing digital economy is a matter of faith for the Modi government,” he said.

MeitY will also set up a state-of-the-art facility under the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT) in Shillong to impart training on digital skills. A 10-acre campus will soon be prepared for this.

The minister also informed that the government is relaunching Skill India through PMKVY 4.0, which will train around 50,000 youth in Meghalaya in future-ready skills with industry-backed job opportunities.

“PM Narendra Modi is building a New India for young Indians with re-imagined ambitions and aspirations. There are many opportunities available today and hence skill becomes important to take advantage of these opportunities. Skill is the new passport to prosperity”, he said.

Among other initiatives under PMKVY4.0, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship aims to skill about 60,000 youth in Tripura and 35,000 youth in Nagaland across the spectrum of approved courses.