Esports, gaming sectors hope for big changes in Budget 2026
India's gaming and esports sectors are hoping for some big updates in Budget 2026.
Their main ask? They want esports officially recognized as a sport so prize money isn't taxed like gambling winnings.
While recent laws have started to separate esports from gambling, the industry says clearer tax rules across all gaming platforms are still needed.
AVGC Task Force's fund allocation needs to be more transparent
The community also wants more transparency about how funds for the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) Task Force are being used.
The new Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), set up with a ₹391 crore budget, is a good start—but leaders like Rajan Navani feel more investment and more IICTs would really boost the creative ecosystem.
With Budget 2026 around the corner, everyone's waiting to see if these changes will help gaming in India level up even further.