Ex-SAM lawyer Shivani Jha appointed Director of eSports Players Welfare Association

EPWA aims to safeguard the interests of eSports athletes across India and to be the players body that drives the future of Indian eSports.
Shivani Jha
Shivani Jha

Shivani Jha, a former corporate lawyer who has worked at firms like Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas, now heads a think tank and players body in the arena of eSports policy making called eSports Players Welfare Association (EPWA).

EPWA aims to safeguard the interests of eSports athletes across India and to be the players body that drives the future of Indian eSports. With little to no regulation on eSports players' rights in India, EPWA as a non-for-profit organization looks to set industry standards in this field.

So how did the idea to set up such an organisation take flight? Jha said that she looks at eSports as a tech product that requires legal understanding and regulatory framework. Speaking to Bar & Bench, she said,

"While working on corporate transactions for tech products and companies, I missed analyzing the products and companies as a subject, since as a lawyer, I was more involved in the due diligence."

Jha shared that she later recognized her interest in the advisory and policy aspects of these technology companies.

"eSports is a revolutionary tech product that requires legal understanding and a regulatory framework because it is the best use case for AI, Data privacy and Blockchain", Jha added.

Speaking about the objective of EPWA as an organization, she said,

"Despite massive investments and player participation even at Asian games we do not have policy and regulations for eSports. EPWA is the only players body and think tank in this sector that aims to bridge this gap."

In conclusion, Jha stated,

“India competed in the Asian Games in 2018. eSports will be included in the forthcoming Asian Games in 2022 and probably at the Olympics in 2024. A regulatory framework is necessary to protect player rights and give them the status of professional athlete.”

Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news
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