Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met some of the top gamers in the country on Thursday, April 11. The gamers included Animesh Agarwal, Mithilesh Patankar, Payal Dhare, Naman Mathur, and Anshu Bisht. The Prime Minister interacted with them about the future of gaming and tried his hand at a Virtual Reality (VR) game. 

One of the aspects discussed during this meeting was the rise in games developed in India that centered on the country’s mythology. The gamers discussed how gaming is not seen as a legitimate career in the country and women’s participation in the industry. 

According to reports, the Prime Minister asked about the challenges gamers face in the country, and if there was a misconception revolving around the industry. He also asked if gamers often face the struggle between choosing games that are skill based and those that can earn quick money. The gamers responded that there needs to be a distinction between the two. The growing video game addiction was also discussed during the interaction.

Apart from VR games, the Prime Minister also tried his hand at other gaming platforms like PC and console gaming, and mobile gaming. According to a Newslaundry report, The Union government, through a notification, had given charge to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to make rules related to online gaming on December 26. The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was tasked to oversee e-sports in the country. 

The outreach programme with gamers comes just a month after PM Modi felicitated social media influencers at the first-ever National Creators Awards. The awards announced on March 8 were given to popular influencers, most of whom are vocally right-wing, such as Abhi and Niyu,  “Beer Biceps” Ranveer Allahabadia, Shraddha Jain, Jahnvi Singh, and Keerthika Govindasamy among others.

Read: National Creators Awards: Beer Biceps, Keerthi History, Curly Tales felicitated by PM