Nasscom to set up Board of Animation and Gaming Standards

Televisionpoint.com Correspondent | Hyderabad
National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) has framed standards for imparting animation and gaming education in the country with an aim of enhancing skilled manpower availability for the industry.

The IT industry body on Friday will formally launch its initiative called 'Board of Animation and Gaming Standards (BAGS)' in association with the Union ministry of information and broadcasting, here at its annual event, Nasscom Animation & Gaming India 2008.

"Quality talent pool in animation and gaming is not growing at the same rate as that of the industry. Plus, there is no standardisation in training across various institutions and students passing out of these are not industry ready," said Biren Ghose, chairman, Nasscom Animation and Gaming Forum.

While the $ 460 million animation industry is growing at the rate of 27 per cent and the $ 212 million gaming industry at 50 per cent, the growth in talent flow in the areas is woefully inadequate at 8 per cent per annum.

According to him, BAGS is an attempt to bridge this gap, give a benchmark for students and parents choosing institutes and thereby increase production ready resources. It would be on the lines of its earlier education initiative - Nasscom Assessment of Competence (NAC) for the ITeS and BPO industry.

The standards would pertain to some 15 areas including entry and exit criteria at the training institutes, curriculum, minimum infrastructure requirement, faculty evaluation and training, flexibility of system and congruence with similar courses abroad among others. The standards committee was formed on Wednesday and it will submit the recommendations to the Centre.