Animation and Gaming industry provided greater advantage to promote language, art and culture, Tamil Nadu Information Technology Minister Poongothai Aladi Aruna said today.

Inaugurating Media Arts and Science College (MASC) at Neelankarai, near here, she said ”we can take our art, culture and language to all corners of the world, through animation of our mythological tales and life history of our distinguished personalities of the past.

Through animation the life history of personalities like revolutionary poets Bharathiyaar and Bharathidasan could be spread and indigenous games like Pallankuzhi and Snake and Ladder could be introduced.” She offered the first admission letter to a differently abled student residing in a destitute home in Chennai at the MASC, a first of its kind college dedicated for Media Education.

”Tamil Nadu is a thriving base for knowledge and economy.

Our State stands exemplary in all of its endeavors, be it growth of IT and manufacturing industries, IT policies, computer education, introducing Tamil keyboards or dedication of Tamil virtual university for the language lovers across the globe etc,” she said.

In the past four years around 48,000 crore has been invested in the State for industrial growth and aims at bringing holistic and equitable growth by removing rural-urban divide, she remarked. Mr Purushothaman, Regional Director, NASSCOM, said ”with respect to Animation and Gaming industry, India suffers talent crunch. The Animation and Gaming industry expected to grow to one billion US dollars and 830 million dollars by 2012 needs talented youngsters with adequate skill sets.

Along with development of skills, English proficiency would help our country to do cross border projects and also bring end-to-end development in the industry.

Ms Amy Hirsch, Vice Consul, United States Consulate General, who graced the occasion, said ”India is a great source of education, but it is learnt that only 10 per cent of the students who have secondary education have access to higher studies.” More importance to education and gaining of practical knowledge will accelerate the growth of India. The tie-up between India and US in education is expected to bring a marvelous change and various expansion and scholarship programmes are being planned,