 Well, with this, it is time for me to welcome and it is a static moment for all of us that we are joined by Mr. Wehbhav Dange, who is the founding director and member of the Federation of Electronic Sports Association India, which is FEAI in a conversation with Dr. Anurag Bhattra, the editor in chief of BW Business World and Exchange for Media Group. So this is going to be an exciting conversation. I'm sure a lot of keenness to this conversation is going to be there. Dr. Bhattra, over to you to take it forward with Mr. Dange. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you, Bhavna. Thank you. Thank you. Dr. Bhattra. Mr. Dange, thank you so much. You have really multifaceted and congratulations to you on your latest book. Yes, I am very much here, Bhavna. Yeah, I'm very much here and so is Mr. Dange. So let me, let me dive into a conversation directly with Mr. Dange. Dange, first of all, let me start by asking you, you know, as we heard that the gaming is a fastest growing segment within that eSports is being set up. So I would like today, why was, while I am aware of that the FEAI is promoting India as a, you know, first eSports definition, that it is a hybrid definition. So tell us what is the charter of the FEAI and how you are becoming a catalyst to really build the right policy framework, engage all the stakeholders and grow the domain. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Bhattra, for this wonderful opportunity to interact. And as we know, whatever Dr. Bhattra and your team does is always beyond excellence. So I'm sure that this is conversation and the entire day long program you have charted out is going to be a very interesting and helpful. As you said in your opening remarks, and I was looking at your, you know, watching your remarks, you are right that overall gaming industry is increasing globally. And of course, India cannot be aloof of that development that's happening globally. Today, we are roughly around 3% in our participation into the gaming industry, the entire AVGC industry. Fortunately, the government has recognized that this is going to be a huge area. And right from the top, the Prime Minister has been commenting on this time and again from last couple of years about how India can, you know, be benefited, both in terms of participating from the players' perspective, developers' perspective, tournament organizers participating in tournaments. And so everybody has recognized this. Though we are just 3% in terms of participation today, but I'm sure in next couple of years or a few years, this number is going to be phenomenally going up, shall be going phenomenally up. So I think it's a right time. We thought that it's a right time that we must do a very considered and a very sustained effort to ensure that India is at the forefront of this development. And not only we play our own part in ensuring that we are part of this development, we also, as a nation, get benefited by these changes that is happening, the opportunities that this sector is happening. And with that perspective, Federation of Esports of Association of India was formed. As you rightly said, we are definitely trying to promote a kind of a hybrid model, which the Government of India has also been talking about. We will like probably Ministry of Youth Affairs and also the Ministry of IT to define sports both and differentiate between esports, real money gaming or fantasy sports. So I'm not saying they're good or bad, but they have their own role to play. And esports, I will primarily look at esports as a game, which Supreme Court has also said that any skill based online gaming or played on any of the electronic format, whether it is phones, mobile phones or on a gadgets, can be considered as esports. And I think that clarification or that evolving of that right definition is where FEI has been working relentlessly since last two years. Because then only we can be really benefited because not only players should participate because India has a huge, we have a youngest population. Today, 85% of India's esports market is on mobile phones. We have more than 90% of our mobile game market is growing by almost 35-40% year on year. We have 150 billion population, we have more than 80-90 billion smartphones. So I think with all this put together, India is poised to get benefited. And if we miss this opportunity, then probably we will miss as a nation, as an economy. So I think that is the perspective which FEI has in larger terms. What are the policy tweaks, policy measures that need to happen from the policy makers, from the government to be able to give policy? Yeah. So the policy makers are able to build the right framework. What is that right framework? What is your expectations as an association and someone who represents the industry from the government, from the policy makers? Yes, of course. As I said, we look at it esports as a very important component of the overall gaming and sports industry in India. And as I said, we look at it from a bit holistic perspective of all these stakeholders playing their own role. For example, esports area, players will have a role to play. Team owners will have a role to play. Tournament organizers will have a role to play. Game developers will will have a role to play. So everybody will have to play a role. So I think we look at esports from this perspective and we have prepared a draft policy paper interacting with almost every stakeholder, taking everybody on the board and we are about to submit those draft policy documents to the government. And we are happy that the finance minister has announced in this year's budget that AVGC policy shall be prepared and they have prepared a small group which will look at this policy. And we have been suggesting to government to work closely in developing those policies. For example, we look at it not only conventional esports should be played, but we also look at how can we bring in Indian games to this whole area? Today our participation in developing probably Indian games is very less. But can we look at that Indian developers come up with a huge number of Indian games and look at developing that? Or for example, we are looking at developing a bottom-up approach where we are working with the district level, state level, universities, colleges to organize those kind of tournaments. In fact, in last one more than one year, we have organized more than three or four national tournaments with the participation of more than one leg esports owner. So those aspects also need to be how do entire ecosystem of esports in India needs to be developed. So defining the esports, right from roles and responsibility, right from how do we get benefited in terms of opportunities? How do developers play their own role? So I think that's one aspect. Similarly, there is another aspect that we need to look at. For example, FEI has suggested to do the ranking of the players. And by doing the ranking, we are also looking at how do we protect data of the players, both in terms of their ranking there. So data protection aspects also needs to be to be looked at. So similarly, for example, the new education policy also talks about developing this new educational and skill program for this new age economy and new age opportunity. So in our policy document, we are also talking about what do we need to do from that front. For example, we have interacted with the esports association of USA and esports association of UK. And we are trying to understand how do they have developed their own skill courses, skill syllabuses, education syllabuses. So that also needs to be looked at. You will be surprised to know, Dr. Bajra, the typical age group of esports players is between 15 to 18 years of age or 20 years of age. So we are also looking at how do we create an ecosystem where post those peak of their in a way sporting career, how do we ensure that these players are still contributing to the esports and their livelihood and everything is taken care of. So I think those aspects also need to be added. So from the Federation, we always are looking at ensuring that we have a very complete holistic view of the entire esports arena and try to develop an ecosystem which is win-win for all the stakeholders. I think that's our larger expectation from the government. And hopefully with this draft, which we are submitting and the group government has put in, we'll be able to effectively suggest government, partner with government on developing those ideas in a larger interest of the nation. And therefore, we put in a lot of effort in ensuring, evolving those dialogue with all the stakeholders. So for example, we have n number of sessions with industry developers, tournament organizers, team owners. For example, we are also tying up with government of India on using this Kello India platform to take esports to the at the school, college and university level. So I think all this put together, we look at developing the ecosystem which is for Indian by Indians, but is capable of taking India to the global level. Okay. Now when you're talking India, taking India to the global level, if you had to put a number of what is the kind of growth you see in the gaming arena and in the esports arena, give our viewers a sense of the kind of scale up that is happening, the kind of scale up that is possible, the kind of numbers we can expect, our pitch medicine advertising outlook, our exchange from media, Densu digital outlook, all have predicted huge growth for the gaming sector. And so I have all other reports in this sector, your own report. So give us a sense of what is the numbers we are likely to do for the next few years. Yes, of course. As I said, Dr. Batra, I'll try to share a few data, which is which is really itself is very, very, you know, speaking. For example, today India has a gaming viewership of around 450 million. And most of them, 48% of them are YouTube gamers who have said that they like to watch these games than actually playing the games. So there's a huge amount of viewership in India. Similarly, for example, in 2019, we have around 25 game developers in India. Today as on day when we speak, we have more than 500 developers in India. And this is bound to probably triple by 23. For example, game like Cricket has catch the frenzy. I think Rajan Devani is going to join you in next session. He'll explain you in detail. The real cricket has has crossed all the boundaries in terms of viewership, players participation, the national tournament has seen more than 40 million viewership, more than 1 lakh people participating. So I think this is bound to grow. If I put may put, it's like catching a wildfire. So if we are probably able to kind of direct it with the right regulatory framework and a right framework, then this can be used as our advantage at India's advantage. So I think from that perspective, I see probably sky is the limit. Or if I may say cloud is the limit in eSports. Okay. My last question. Okay. Now my last question. What are your expectations from the private players? While this, you know, gaming involves young adults and we have a worry they spend too much time on the screen, some of the games are violent. So how do you make sure you strike the balance? So is there or do the private players who are a very important stakeholder in this ecosystem? I'm sure they're thinking about such aspects. What is what are your expectations from these private players? No, you're right. I think that's the biggest challenge the entire gaming, online gaming industry today is going to face even facing today and they are bound to increase in few years. For example, we have seen recently few states have banned online gaming and similar kind of efforts have been made. Of course, sports have now given some respite in that, but this is bound to happen. There is a lot of negativity in terms of amount of violence and amount of gaming. So I think private sector, particularly Indian developers will have to come up with a lot of solutions in terms of developing a lot of Indian games which are skill-based games. So for example, conventional traditional games can be brought on the eSports platform. That is something which can be developed. Today, India is contributing hugely on the, you know, IT and IoT-based sectors. Why can't we, you know, have a lot of developers in India who are coming up with a lot of Indian games, traditional conventional Indian games. And we will also have to look at private sector with team owners, player management companies. We as an association will have to look at how do we ensure that we reduce the negative impact of, you know, if at all they are through a sustained effort of educating both in terms of the players, their guardians, parents, team owners, developers to come up with. So one aspect is how do we come up with a lot of games which are nonviolent, which are more skill-based. And similarly, we also create an ecosystem where we try to educate players and team owners to ensure that there is a right work balance, you know, approach. For example, I went to a few boot camps, eSports boot camp and interacted with players and eSports teams. And they have started developing those mechanisms within their framework. For example, how much amount of time they should spend every day, how much amount of tournaments they should play every week or every month, how much amount of tournaments a player should play, you know, all those things need to be evolved in a due course of time and ensure that the ecosystem benefits everybody and does not creates any negative impacts on the society. Because as a developer, whether you are a developer or a team owner or a player or an association, we will have to play a very responsible and important constructive role in ensuring that our sector, eSports as a sector and as an ecosystem ensures that it is benefited to the society and a country as a whole. Thank you. All the best, Mr. Vairav Dange, in your mission to grow this domain. It brings employment. It brings GDP. It is an important spot, hopefully in the future. Who knows, it may become an Olympic spot. So kudos to you. The early years of any sector are very important. So the right framework by the right stakeholders is very, very important. So I would like to congratulate you and all your stakeholders and the members of the Association on doing that pioneering work which will lay the foundation for a very robust and vibrant sector that takes India to the globe. So back to you, Bhavna, for the rest of the conversation. Thank you, Mr. Dange, for joining us for these. Hopefully at our next gaming summit, we'll be doing this face-to-face physically in a conference location and we look forward to engaging with you again. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your input. Thank you for the role you're playing. Back to you, Bhavna. Thank you. Thank you, Dr. Bhattara, for taking the initiative and giving this opportunity to interact. As you rightly said, this is an innovation right sector. So we all will probably put our mind together and ensure that it's largely benefited to the entire society and a nation as a whole and every stakeholder plays its own role. All right. Thank you so much.