Gaming in India has experienced a huge transformation: Santanu

How did you start you career in computer games

As a kid, I suffered with acute pancreatitis because of which I was confined to home for a good six months. Being a sports lover, since I could not go out to play, I decided to try my hands on the video gamesto keep my mind off the illness. That was the time when I also got exposed to the computer game tournaments and the rest is history.

Do you think that computer games has a good career in India?

Certainly, the last decade has witnesseda significant shift in the gaming culture in India, it is no more perceived as just a hobby and people have opened up to the idea of gaming being one of the contributors of entertainment and education. Computer gaming events have gained exceptional popularity and the gamers are being largely recognized as they are now being hired for game testing and other gaming related jobs as well.

Did you get any training in this sector?

I did not take any specific training for this, I just focused on making my game perfect with practice. Under the name of self-training, I used to and still play online extensively against other gamers across the globe.

How has been your journey in the sector of computer games over the years?

My journey has been a very interesting one, I started to play when the gaming scenario in India was not as progressive as it is today. When I started gaming, I wished if I could win one gaming tournament I would be happy, but never thought I will represent India in almost all significant computer gaming events on an international level.Initially, I made sure that I play in all kinds of gaming events, no matter big or small and kept on trying. I plan on continuing the same for the coming years as well.

Tell us something about your partnership with AMD

I have been an AMD user from my early days of gaming, the AMD CPUs and Radeon GPUs are one of the best out there for gamers in India especially with the cost-effectiveness that they offer. I am just not restricted to PC gaming, but have also beenparticipating in next-gen console gaming events on XBOX or PlayStation which are also powered by AMD. So, when AMD extended their support to me for participating in international gaming competitions, it felt like a dream come true.

AMD has been instrumental in boosting confidence and reach in the world of Gaming. With AMD as a supporter in my profile, I have started receiving more invites from gaming tournaments all around the world.

What are the specific hurdles faced by the industry in India?

Although the perception towards Gaming in India has changed but not as much as other countries as they are much advanced in promoting gaming and host events in large numbers.Therefore, to begin with, there are lesser opportunities for us gamers here to exhibit our skills. But the biggest challenge in India is getting sponsors for gaming events that happen internationally. The smaller college-level events that happen in India also face some shortcomings from the technological stand point as the GPUs are mostly not updated.

Speaking about gaming as a profession, what is the future prospect of it?

Gaming in India has experienced a huge transformation from a consumer point of view, it is growing at an exceptional speed and the Indian gamers have also improved with time. With platform like YouTube and Twitch, gamers in India are exposed to videos of other gamers across the world which helps them learn and improve their game quickly and easily. In my opinion, gaming is already set on a growth trajectory in India and is just going to grow more in the times to come with more professional gamers emerging from here.

Do you plan to form any training institute in future?

Not as of now, but in near future I plan on creating videos with tips and tricks for gaming enthusiasts to see, learn and improve their skills.

How do you plan to contribute to the Indian society?

I wanted to be a professional footballer in real life, out of my love for the sport, but my health does not allow it, so I became the virtual footballer instead.As far as contributing to the society is concerned, I am associated with a local children’s football coaching center that trains more than 250 kids. I support the club by arranging sponsors for their kits every year and also by monitoring the functioning of the club closely. I have written a couple of articles as well for the club, one of which was selected in top 6 for story writing completion by FIFA.com.