By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, JAN 14, 2023: DIGITAL India Startup Hub through the Software Technology Parks of India shall set up India's first Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming at Shillong by March 2023, said The Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrasekhar. The Centre of Excellence in Shillong is expected to catalyse startups and entrepreneurs from the entire North East Region to build the Next Gen Online Gaming ecosystem. "It is the vision of PM Narendra Modi ji that the next wave of startups and entrepreneurs must come from Shillong, Kohima and other parts of the North East India", said Rajeev Chandrasekhar while interacting with journalists at a press conference in Shillong. It is pertinent to mention that the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has recently circulated Draft amendments to the IT Rules 2021 in relation to the Online Gaming for public consultation.  

The Minister also highlighted the importance of Digital Skills post Covid, as the rate of Digitalization of products, services and devices continue to increase across the globe. "Imparting Digital Skills to the youth in North East Region to enable them to grab opportunities of jobs and entrepreneurship in the fast-expanding Digital economy is an article of faith for Narendra Modi Government."  The Minister announced another initiative of MeitY to set up a state-of-the-art facility under the National Institute of Electronics and IT (NIELIT) to provide training on cutting edge Digital Skills at Shillong. A 10-acre campus shall soon be ready for this purpose which shall cater to the skilling requirement of youth in the North East Region.

The Minister also informed that the Government is Re-launching Skill India through PMKVY 4.0, which shall train around 50,000 youth in Meghalaya in future ready skills with Industry backed Job Opportunities. "PM Narendra Modi is building New India with re-imagined ambitions and aspirations for the young Indians. There are multiple opportunities available today and therefore skills become important to take advantage of these opportunities. Skills are the new Passport to Prosperity", he added.  As far as other states in the North East Region are concerned; the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship under PMKVY4.0 has set a target to skill around 60,000 youth in Tripura and 35,000 in Nagaland across a spectrum of approved courses.