One of the biggest concerns students often raise about school education is that much of the syllabus feels outdated. What began as a Gen Z trend is now becoming a broader demand — students want to learn skills that matter in real life, not just content designed to clear examinations. Video games are one such example. Saudi Arabia recently surprised many by announcing that game development and e-sports would become part of its national school curriculum. Saudi Arabia’s move is not about letting students play games in classrooms. It is about teaching them how games are built — from coding and storytelling to animation, design logic, and digital collaboration.
In many countries, including India, gaming was widely viewed as a distraction—something done in free time rather than a serious pursuit, but the change is visible now.
Interestingly, India may be taking its first steps in that direction. In the Union Budget 2026, the government announced the establishment of animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC) content creator labs in 15,000 secondary schools and 500 colleges in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies, Mumbai. The education sector allocation increased by 6.22 per cent this year, rising to Rs 1,39,289.48 lakh crore from Rs 1,28,650 crore last year.
While the announcement signals intent, execution will determine if India can move from being largely a consumer market to a creator economy in gaming. For Deepanshu, an Indian competitive gamer who spent much of his Class 11 and 12 years playing during the pandemic, the news feels transformative. “If something like this had happened when I was in school, it would have been a huge encouragement,” he says. “During COVID, we were playing competitive games like CS:GO and Valorant for hours. It wasn’t just entertainment, it taught us strategy, coordination, and discipline.”
“Gamers don’t care only about graphics; mechanics and fluidity matter more. Even if visuals aren’t ultra-modern, strong gameplay keeps people engaged. That’s something Indian studios sometimes overlook," he explains. According to Deepanshu, structured exposure to these areas at school level could change the ecosystem. He said, “Coding can be learned from anywhere. But if schools introduce 2D, 3D, animation, VFX, and game engines properly, students will understand how games are actually created.”
PM Modi talked about gaming in PPC 9th edition
When a student raised a question about pursuing a future in gaming despite societal pressure to focus only on studies,PM Modi explainedthat parents often discourage initially, but once success is achieved, they take pride and celebrate it. He encouraged the student to channel interest in gaming productively by creating games based on India’s rich stories, such as Panchatantra or mythological events. He also advised the student to share them on social media platforms to gain recognition. PM Modi said, "Gaming is a skill requiring speed and alertness, which contributes to self-development and focus on building expertise in high-quality games." Not only this, but he also cautioned students against gambling in gaming, noting that laws have been enacted to prevent such practices.
Bharati, another gaming enthusiast who finished school nearly a decade ago, says times have changed significantly. Parents are now beginning to understand the scope and potential of gaming instead of dismissing it as just a hobby. Planning to launch his own channel soon, he believes that if schools had encouraged esports rather than punishing students for neglecting homework due to gaming, things might have been very different today.
Why Do Indian Studios Not Create Global-Level Games?
Deepanshu points out that India’s gaming ecosystem still faces credibility challenges. “Indian studios sometimes announce ambitious projects and then cancel them after years of development. That demotivates the community. Expectations are low because consistency is missing. Many projects rely heavily on visuals or predictable themes. What India needs are original worlds and strong gameplay mechanics that can compete globally.”
Source: India Latest News, Breaking News Today, Top News Headlines | Times Now
