No need for regulation of gaming industry, PM Modi says in interaction with top gamers

Had a wonderful interaction with youngsters from the gaming community… You would love to watch this! https://t.co/TdfdRWNG8q

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 13, 2024

Responding to a question by one of the gamers, Naman Mathur, who asked if there was any regulation needed for the gaming sector, Modi said: “Regulate wont be the right word. Because its the government’s nature to intervene. There are two things – either you try to impose restrictions under law or try to understand and mould it on the basis of our country’s needs and bring it under an organised, legal structure and uplift its reputation.”

He added: “My attempt is to uplift the nation to a level that by 2047, the government is out of the lives of middle class families in particular. Our life is stuck in paperwork. It is the poor who need the government, the government should be there with them in difficult times.”

When another gamer, Animesh Agarwal, suggested there was a need for government agencies to distinguish between skills-based gaming and online gambling, the PM reiterated: “There is no need for regulations. It [gaming industry] should remain free, it is only then that it will bloom.”

He asked the group of gamers to email their concerns to his office.

Meanwhile, the PM’s 32-minute-long video was broadcast on his and the BJP’s social media handles from 9.30 am. Public broadcaster Doordarshan, too, showed around 9 minutes of the interaction during its news programme. This, according to EC sources, does not violate the Model Code of Conduct in place for the Lok Sabha elections as it was part of the news and not a separate programme.