News Brief
'NaMo OP': PM Modi Interacts With Top Indian Gamers - Here's Who They Are And What Was Discussed
PM Modi with India's top gamers
In a significant development highlighting the growing importance of the gaming sector in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with seven of the country's top gamers.
The interaction, which was shared by PM Modi on his X handle, featured well-known figures in the gaming community including Animesh Agarwal, Mithilesh Patankar, Payal Dhare, Naman Mathur, and Anshu Bisht.
During their meeting, these gamers shared insights into the burgeoning gaming industry in India, which is increasingly being inspired by Indian mythology and culture.
This session also focused on how the government is recognising and supporting the creative contributions of gamers.
According to posts shared on social media by Agarwal and Patankar, their conversation with Prime Minister Modi was "enlightening," and they praised his "forward-thinking approach," which they believe will significantly impact the gaming scene in India.
The Prime Minister was particularly keen on understanding the challenges faced in the gaming industry, including the common misconception of equating gaming with gambling.
Addressing this, Modi asked the gamers, "Kya aap gaming or gambling ki ladaai face karte hain?" (Do you face the challenge of distinguishing gaming from gambling?).
The gamers emphasized the need to clearly differentiate between skill-based gaming and real-money gaming to avoid these misconceptions.
They also discussed issues related to gaming addiction, underscoring the importance of responsible gaming practices.
PM Modi also emphasised that the esports and gaming industry does not require any regulation.
"It must remain free, only then it will boom," he added.
Adding a practical dimension to the meeting, Prime Minister Modi experienced various gaming platforms firsthand, trying out VR, mobile, and PC/console gaming.
While calling him the coolest PM in the world, the leading Indian creators on also gave PM Modi a new name in the world of livestream gaming - 'NaMo OP', where OP stands for 'overpowered'.
The gaming community in India is vast and vibrant, with an audience that includes between 450-550 million enthusiasts.
The industry itself has seen a significant revenue surge, reaching $3.1 billion in FY23, marking an increase of 19 per cent from the previous fiscal year's $2.6 billion, according to the latest figures.
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