Gaming, animation to get policy boost in K'taka

BANGALORE, INDIA: Animation and gaming professionals in Karnataka can rejoice. The state has envisaged a policy, a la the IT framework, exclusively to promote these booming sectors and will announce it soon.

As both sectors have the potential to generate Rs. 10,000 crore revenues by 2012, the new policy would fuel further the state IT industry growth even as it gives a fillip to animation and gaming as organized sectors, said Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda, at the 14th edition of the Bangalore IT.biz here on Tuesday.

He also divulged that The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) recently mooted an idea for the state to have a liaison office at Santa Clara in the Silicon Valley.

"When a state delegation visited San Francisco last month, they suggested this, as it would offer a platform for knowledge and technology exchange between their Silicon Valley and Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India," elaborated Gowda, adding that the state would take needed measures towards setting up the office.

The IT growth story of India is being led by Karnataka, Bangalore in particular, said Gowda, who also didn't fail to mention that the state's contribution to the country's overall IT exports stood at about 30 per cent.

"IT exports of over Rs. 90,000 crore have been recorded from Karnataka during 2010-11," he said.

During the Global Investors Meet in 2010, IT investments worth Rs. 12,000 crore were promised and the figure would rise further in the next meet in 2012, pointed out Gowda.

"Out of 25 lakh IT professionals in the country, over 8 lakh are employed in Bangalore. The contribution of IT to Karnataka's GDP is over 20 per cent," he added.