Bengaluru will lead gaming, animation industry in India: Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru, Aug 19: The future of gaming and animation in India is bright and Bengaluru is poised to be at the forefront, said Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday.
The government is committed to supporting startups and SMEs in the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality (AVGC-XR) sector and establishing the state as a global hub for AVGC, he said.
"Government is ready with funds and is willing to partner with anyone. In fact, I am seeing the AVGC industry as a foot in the door for electronics manufacturing for gaming accessories. So, it has the potential to create a parallel economy with respect to manufacturing as well," said Kharge, who holds the portfolio of Information Technology.
The minister unveiled the theme and poster for GAFX 2025, the 6th edition of one of India’s most eagerly awaited gatherings in the gaming, digital media, and entertainment industries, which will be held between February 27 and March 1, 2025.
The Gaming, Animation and Visual Effects (GAFX) is jointly organised by the Karnataka government and Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI).
At the curtain raiser for GAFX 2025, Kharge urged the participants to seize the opportunity to engage in valuable learning experiences, network with peers, and connect with mentors.
"Right now, the state’s 20 per cent AVGC market share is driven by around 300 specialised AVGC-XR studios employing approximately 15,000 professionals," he added.
Sharath Bacchegowda, Chairman of Karnataka State Electronics Development Corporation Limited (KEONICS) who was also present at the curtain-raiser event said it is time for the industry to go beyond the back-end operations and create more India specific stories and content to revolutionise the industry.
He also talked about the efforts being taken by KEONICS to drive growth beyond Bengaluru.
"The initiative aims to proliferate digital economy growth in clusters beyond Bengaluru, such as Hubli-Dharwad-Belgavi, Mysuru, and Mangaluru. Each cluster focuses on specialised domains, with Mysuru emerging as a cybersecurity hub, Mangaluru excelling in fintech, and Hubbali-Dharwad-Belgavi becoming a center for AI, ML, IoT, and advanced manufacturing," he added.
Biren Ghose, president of ABAI and Managing Director APAC Technicolor Group said, "GAFX 2025 is both a celebration and an occasion to reward excellence as well as throw a spotlight on the future growth of the creative technology industry." According to him, the 6th edition of the GAFX will offer a platform for stakeholders to explore and strategise the growth potential of Karnataka’s digital media industry.
The other dignitaries at the curtain-raiser event included Sai Srinivas, co-founder of Mobile Premier League (MPL), Alfonso Tagliaferri, Consul General of Italy in Bengaluru, Hilary McGeachy, Consul General of Australia in Bengaluru and Vishal Dhupar, Managing Director of Nvidia.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
