Animation & Gaming Industry: Exploring Career Paths & Beyond

Dr. Sanjay Gupta Oct 30, 2023

India is at the forefront of a transformative wave in animation and game design. The Indian animation and VFX industry grew by 24 per cent in 2021, reaching Rs 30.5 billion. Projections show a 35 per cent annual growth between 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the industry's total value was about Rs 107 billion, with VFX contributing 50 billion. This thriving industry is drawing an increasing number of aspirants, driven by a growing openness to explore alternative career options, expanding job opportunities and improved affordability of higher education.

India’s gaming industry is also on the rise and is valued at $930 million, making it the number one gaming market in the world. The Indian gaming industry has grown nearly 60 per cent over the last three years and it is expected to treble in value and reach $3.9 billion by 2025. The total number of online gamers grew 8 per cent from 360 million in 2020 to 390 million in 2021 2. Mobile gaming takes the largest chunk of the gaming market thanks to access to affordable smartphones growing at 15 per cent year-on-year for the past five years in India, high-speed 4G internet penetration and the world’s lowest data tariffs. Over 50 per cent of India’s population is below the age of 25 and 60 per cent of the nation’s gamers are under 25 years of age too.

The growth of animation, VFX industry and gaming in India

As digital media gains prominence, animation, VFX and game design play a pivotal role in crafting engaging content. The demand for these skills has witnessed substantial growth over the years. However, amid this remarkable expansion, a significant challenge emerges; many aspiring talents lack the knowledge of how to pursue a career in this exciting field.

Diverse career opportunities in animation and game design

Character Design: Create characters for films, TV shows, commercials and web series in animation studios worldwide. Game development studios also offer opportunities to craft unique and engaging game avatars and non-player characters (NPCs).

Environment Design: Work on creating captivating backgrounds and settings for animated content in animation films and TV shows. In the gaming industry, design the worlds and landscapes that players interact with in video game development.

Game Concept Design: Game development companies, startups and indie game developers require experts to brainstorm, ideate and develop the overall vision and mechanics of a game.

Level Design: Highly sought after in both large game studios and indie game development teams. Designers skilled in level design are crucial for creating immersive experiences in virtual and augmented reality applications.

Unity and Unreal Engine Expertise: Proficiency in these tools is highly valued in the game industry, as these engines are widely used for creating interactive content, realistic simulations and training environments.

Applications Beyond Entertainment

The reach of animation and game design skills extends beyond traditional entertainment. Here are some sectors where these skills are in high demand:

Medical and Healthcare: Animators create visual representations of medical procedures, anatomy and pharmaceutical mechanisms for educational and instructional purposes. Animation is also used to simulate medical procedures and training scenarios for healthcare professionals.

Architecture and Real Estate: Designers create animated walkthroughs and virtual tours of architectural designs to help clients visualise spaces before construction.

Automotive Industry: Animation is used to visualise vehicle designs, highlighting features and functionalities for marketing and design processes.

Fashion and Apparel Industry: Animations showcase clothing collections in a dynamic and engaging manner.

Museums and Cultural Institutions: Interactive exhibits use animations and interactive elements to enhance museum displays, providing educational and entertaining experiences for visitors.

Sports and Entertainment Events: Animations are often used during live sports events and concerts to entertain and engage the audience.

Travel and Tourism: Animation promotes tourist destinations, showcasing attractions and experiences in an engaging manner.

Education Technology (Edtech): Interactive learning modules use animations to explain complex concepts and engage students.

Interior Design and Home Décor: Virtual home tours created through animations enable potential buyers or renters to explore properties online.

Government and Public Services: Public awareness campaigns use animation to convey important messages in a visually compelling way.

Environmental and Sustainability Initiatives: Animations raise awareness about environmental issues and promote sustainable practices.

Non-profit and Advocacy Organisations: Animations are used to create impactful videos to convey missions and initiatives.

Specialised animation and VFX careers

For those looking to specialise within the field, exciting career options include: Animators, VFX Artists, Rigging Artists, Texture Artists, Lighting Artists, Multimedia Artists, Storyboard Artists, Previsualisation Artists, Concept Artists, Game Designer, Unity Developer, Unreal Developer, Character Designer, Scenario Designer, Compositor, Sound Designer, UI/UX Designer, Motion Graphics Designer and Visual Effects Supervisor etc.

India's animation and game design industry is experiencing remarkable growth, offering diverse career opportunities. These skills aren't limited to traditional entertainment but extend to various sectors. Whether one aims to work on films, games or innovative applications in different industries, a career in animation and VFX opens doors to an endless list of possibilities.