STPI Focused On Creating IT-Grade Infrastructure To Aid Startup's Working On Gaming Tech

Guwahati: Northeast India (NE) is undergoing an era of transformation by gaming through innovation and infrastructure. According to the projections of market research firms, a thriving gaming industry that would hit $665 billion globally by 2030 makes it imperative for India and particularly the Northeast to position themselves in this dynamic market. NE's gaming ecosystem is flourishing due to focused initiatives by organizations like the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), which provide IT-grade infrastructure, funding, mentorship, and domain-specific support. From action-oriented games to sports and other genres, the market is expanding to cater to a diverse and enthusiastic consumer base, heralding a promising future for gaming innovation in Northeast India.

In a recent conversation with Business North East (BNE), STPI Director Vandana Srivastava highlighted future initiatives focused on transforming the Northeast into a hub for gaming innovation and development.

Vandana Srivastava explains the main purpose of STPI is to aid IT and ITES companies across India. "The fundamental aim is to encourage the export of services and products developed by these companies. In return, we offer high-tech infrastructure, promote innovation and incubation, and make cross-industry and cross-government interactions possible," she told BNE.

Software Technology Parks of India has incentive programs and startup promotion initiatives. It is a critical link between the industry and the government. "We help the government craft policies and facilitate industry needs by providing them with the right infrastructure and support," Vandana Srivastava added.

Regarding emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, and FinTech, the role of STPI extends to providing an environment for startups and enterprises to thrive. "We focus on providing the necessary infrastructure, whether IT-grade facilities, mentorship, or connecting startups with investors," she added.

Acknowledging the growing global gaming market, Srivastava detailed how STPI is working to position the Northeast as a hub for gaming innovation. Given this, Srivastava points out that STPI has undertaken a few initiatives to inculcate gaming innovation in the region. "We are focused on creating IT-grade infrastructure across Northeast India to support startups in different domains, including AI, IoT, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), animation and gaming technologies."

One of the significant steps in this direction has been the establishment of Centers of Entrepreneurship (CoEs) in all eight states of Northeast India. These are domain-specific centres, one for each particular technology. "We have created specialized labs and plug-and-play facilities in each state, allowing startups to develop solutions in AI, gaming, AR, VR, and more," she explains.

The organization's investment in infrastructure is crucial to fostering the growth of gaming startups. Srivastava added that four domain-specific labs had been established across the Northeast catering to the main components of the gaming industry. These included labs in Aizawl, gaming technologies in Imphal, AR and VR technologies in Shillong, and animation and graphics design in Kohima. 

"These labs are must-haves for creating high-quality gaming products and solutions. They provide the necessary infrastructure, tools, and resources for game developers to build their projects," she told BNE.

Besides infrastructure, STPI has initiated several programs like the Octane Program to support startups financially. Apart from mentorship, financial support of up to Rs. 25 lakh is available under this initiative.

"The Octane Program is a different initiative wherein we provide financial support and get the startups networked with mentors and industry experts. We have over 30 mentors on-boarded across various tech domains such as gaming," she told BNE. 

Moreover, mentors like Sridhar Mopadhy, co-founder of Purple Tech India, and Harsha Dekha, CEO of a gaming company, provide invaluable guidance to local startups. Their expertise in gaming and animation is instrumental in shaping the gaming industry.  

AR, VR, and computer vision play increasingly crucial roles in the gaming industry. STPI is making use of these technologies to uplift the gaming ecosystem in Northeast India. "We are designing rich, practical courses for students and aspiring professionals that explain how to build applications and programs based on AR, VR, and other gaming-related technologies," she mentioned.

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These courses are being designed in collaboration with mentors, academicians, and industry experts to ensure they align with the needs of the gaming industry. "Once the courses are ready, students will be able to directly apply their knowledge in our labs to develop innovative gaming solutions," she added while speaking to Akangkhita Mahanta of BNE.

When asked about the level of investment required to start a gaming cafe or gaming startup in Northeast India, Srivastava points out that the investment is comparatively lower than in tier-1 cities. "The primary costs for starting a gaming setup include space, hardware, and manpower. In Northeast India, the rental prices are significantly lower than in tier-1 cities, making the overall investment less," she said, adding that starting a gaming setup in tier-2 or tier-3 cities in Northeast India will cost around 10 to 15 lakhs. In tier-1 cities, it will cost between 15 to 25 lakhs, which is more affordable. It can be an attractive business choice for entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, STPI seeks to amplify its support for the gaming sector in Northeast India. "We are focused on aggressively pursuing our startup programs with funding, mentorship, and infrastructure even though we are at an initial stage,"

One of the plans would be to organize hackathons, gaming competitions, and eSports events to accelerate the gaming industry in the Northeast. "We will also connect gaming startups with investors and organize regular investor meets. As the number of gaming startups in the region increases, we believe more investors will show interest in this space," she explained during the exclusive interview.