Explosive growth predicted in digital entertainment

Chennai, Sep 9 (UNI) The annual Information, Communications and Technology (ICT) today emphasised the need to create an enhanced quality of lifestyle for the globally savvy young Indian leveraging the digital world through media and entertainment.

Speaking on the event -- Connect 2006 for digital industry Intel South Asia MD Ramamurthy Sivakumar said, ''Digital industry is a potential revenue generator for the economy, though currently the share of entertainment revenue in India's GDP is minute.'' Mr Ramamurthy said, ''The globally savvy young Indian demands an enhanced quality of lifestyle as technology continues to develop through leveraging the digital world with media and entertainment.

The Government's role in bringing about digitisation exists in not just providing the basic infrastructure but also giving proper back-end support.'' Ocher Studios Managing Director Soundarya Rajnikanth speaking on the future of digital entertainment said, ''Graphic programming will be the thrust area for the digital entertainment industry.'' Ms Soundarya said with advanced technology and increased avenues to provide entertainment, India could and will emerge as the Digital Entertainment Outsourcing (DEO) destination for the global entertainment industry.

It was also noted that youth have increasing values and aspirations these days. They are demanding and have experience in every technological aspect of life. The needs and requirements of the present generation youth are different from the previous generations, she added.

The requirements of the youth are evolving on a daily basis. Right kind of opportunities need to be created for career for the youth here, as perceptions of youth are different in different cities.

Yahoo India Managing Director George Zacharias, speaking on gaming pointed out that there is potential in gaming to amplify user's powers of imagination, encourage them to make new things, foster lateral thinking, act as an alternate to structured learning and build social skills in individual.

Mr George said, ''It is a powerful medium and game creators need to harness imagination, foster creativity, community, self-esteem, problem-solving of the gamers. Gaming is already big business, and is catching up in India too. Be it web-based game portals, which allow users to play either alone or with others, a host of games on-line ranging from straight forward parlour card games to three-dimensional action extravaganzas.'' UNI WS SRS GC1725