Centurion University of Technology and Management
Ever been told that playing video games is a “waste of time”? Let’s face it: the annual revenue generated by the global gaming industry surpasses that of the movie and music industries combined. In 2024, global gaming revenue reached a staggering $224 billion, and with nearly 3.5 billion gamers worldwide, the “hobby” has officially become a professional powerhouse. In India, this surge is even more explosive—the nation now leads the world in game downloads and boasts a market projected to hit $7 billion by 2025. However, as the arena grows, competition is fierce. Success no longer belongs to the fastest button-masher but to the tech-savvy professional who understands the complex synergy of art, code, and strategy.
Standing at the forefront of this digital revolution is the Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM). As a visionary “Skill University,” Centurion was a pioneer in 2017, being among the first to offer game development as a formal academic discipline. Representing the university’s successful “student-to-leader” ecosystem is Abhi Mitra, a 2014–18 BTech graduate. Having won a national-level gaming hackathon during his student days, Abhi now serves as a faculty lead at his almamater and is the visionary founder of MotionWave Studios.
Founded as an incubated startup within the university, MotionWave Studios is a hub where education meets industry grade production. The studio uses gaming technologies— specifically AR, VR, and AI—to address real-world problems, spanning heritage preservation to industrial digital twins. Abhi’s journey from a student competitor to a business leader shows a vital message: the industry rewards consistency and technical
depth over short-term popularity. By balancing theory with market-oriented labs, the studio works as a bridge for students to transition into global gaming careers.
In the spotlight is Abhi Mitra in an interview for our prestigious “India’s Most Innovative Gaming Institutes Shaping the Future of Esports Education—2026” edition. Learn from his insights and valuable lessons as an entrepreneur to excel and make it the best company. Stay tuned and learn his tale of success.
Prime Insights: Can you introduce your institute and share its mission in advancing gaming and esports education?
Centurion University of Technology and Management is among India’s first universities to introduce game development as a formal academic domain in 2017. As a skill university, its mission is to deliver industry aligned, hands-on education in gaming, esports, and immersive technologies.
Prime Insights: What inspired the foundation of your institute’s focus on esports and game development?
Strong student and alumni enthusiasm, along with global market trends, inspired the initiative. Recognizing gaming as a serious technology-driven industry, the university’s founders and Board of Studies strategically positioned game development and esports as future-ready academic domains.
Prime Insights: How is your institute adding to the growth of the gaming and esports ecosystem in India?
Centurion contributes by creating industry-ready talent, entrepreneurs, and applied research outcomes. The university applies gaming technologies to heritage preservation, industrial simulation, and immersive learning, while nurturing structured esports talent through dedicated infrastructure, training, and competitive exposure.
Prime Insights: What are the flagship programs or courses that make your institute stand out?
Centurion provides two dedicated domain programs and four interdisciplinary skill courses in game
development, AR/VR, and immersive learning. These programs are open across disciplines, enabling
students from diverse academic backgrounds to acquire production-level gaming and 3D content creation skills.
Prime Insights: How do you integratecutting-edge technologies like AR, VR, and AI into your curriculum?
The curriculum is in line with Industry 5.0 and includes AR-VR, AI, robotics, cloud computing, blockchain, and IIoT. Continuous inputs from industry partners ensure students learn current tools, workflows, and real-world production pipelines relevant to global gaming ecosystems.
Prime Insights: How does your institute balance theoretical learning with practical gaming experience?
As a skill university, Centurion follows a practice-driven pedagogy where theory and hands-on labs run simultaneously. Students complete market-oriented capstone projects, many evaluated by industry experts and often leading to funding opportunities, recognition, or startup incubation.
Prime Insights: Can you share key milestones or achievements in esports education?
A key milestone is the formation of the in-house esports team, Martians Gaming Guild (MGG), which competes at national and international levels. Students also organize campus-wide esports tournaments, gaining experience in competition management, broadcasting, and esports operations.
Prime Insights: What initiatives prepare students for global gaming and esports careers?
Beyond academics, Centurion hosts sponsored game jams, esports events, and industry workshops, including exposure to Web3 and blockchain gaming. These initiatives help students align with international standards, emerging technologies, and global career pathways in gaming and esports.
Prime Insights: How does your faculty keep pace with the fast-changing gaming industry?
Curricula are updated annually in consultation with industry partners. Faculty members regularly acquire the latest industry certifications and attend advanced training programs and conferences. Capstone projects are evaluated by external experts, while student outcomes are benchmarked through portfolios, research publications, and industry recommendations.
Prime Insights: What collaborations or partnerships strengthen your role in esports education?
Centurion is an early member of Unity Education Partners and collaborates with top organizations such as NODWIN Gaming and Ascend Esports. These partnerships provide students access to professional tools, mentorship, industry exposure, and real-world esports ecosystems.
Prime Insights: How do you promote innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship among students?
Students work on real-world industry problems, applying gaming technologies beyond entertainment into digital twins, BIM, AEC, and simulation. The university has incubated multiple student-led startups, such as MotionWave Studio, thanks to this ecosystem.
Prime Insights: What challenges have you faced in building awareness and credibility around esports education in India?
The primary challenge has been shifting perceptions of gaming from recreation to a credible career path. Centurion looked after this through academic rigor, industry partnerships, measurable outcomes, and successful alumni, gradually building trust among parents, industry, and academia.
Prime Insights: How is your institute contributing to diversity and inclusion in gaming and esports?
Centurion’s inclusive skill-based model allows students from varied disciplines, regions, and socio-economic backgrounds to access gaming education. The university emphasizes regional storytelling, tribal heritage projects, and equal participation, making sure that gaming becomes a platform for representation and opportunity. Centurion has CBCS(Choice Based Credit System) for the students to choose their courses from diverse domains.
Prime Insights: What are your future plans for expanding programs and global recognition?
Future plans include advanced esports infrastructure, deeper global collaborations, international exchange programs, and expanded research in immersive learning. Centurion aims to position itself as a top South Asian hub for gaming, esports, and applied immersive technologies.
Prime Insights: What advice would you give aspiring gamers and students?
Aspiring gamers should treat gaming as a disciplined profession. Focus on strong technical foundations, teamwork, and problem solving, build real project portfolios, and continuously upskill. The industry rewards consistency, adaptability, and execution more than short-term popularity.
