After raids, central agency arrested two WinZO directors under money laundering charges; company allegedly tried to shift operations to US to evade ban on real-money games in India.
While two-thirds of men with at least six years of experience received an annual salary of at least $125,000, just 38% of women and non-binary people did, the survey shows.
Recent regulatory interventions in India targeted at digital services are both harsh and sudden, such as the ban on real-money games without notice to gamers.
This policy unpredictability is accelerating India's brain drain, particularly in tech and digital innovation, where skilled professionals seek more stable environments abroad.
Government's attempt to regulate online gaming sector, particularly games involving financial stakes, is undoubtedly praiseworthy, given that this sector was previously largely unregulated.
The new law, which the government has framed as a moral duty, forced major platforms like Dream11 & Zupee to shut operations, wiping out hundreds of crores in market capitalisation.
If the Act applied to the ‘offline’ games, then ATP tennis tournaments, Davis Cup ties, IPL matches, and even Test cricket, each with cash rewards or trophies, would fall foul.
Before the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill was passed in the Lok Sabha, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka brought laws to regulate online gaming.
India should build on regulatory architecture instead of driving consumers into the shadows. The real choice is not between prohibition and inaction, but between regulation and chaos.
With recruitments under Agnipath set to rise, the Union Budget has significantly increased spending, with the Army taking nearly 87% of the total outlay.
The key to fighting a war successfully, or even launching it, is a clear objective. That’s an entirely political call. It isn’t emotional or purely military.
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