Nandiniy started her career as a newsreader in one of the leading Tamil News channels. Because of her passion for TV, she also produced a couple of devotional shows for the same channel. Later, she got married and decided to quit television and set off on her own. “I was passionate about business and was keen on taking up some interesting initiative. That’s when I got hooked on to games. I used to eagerly look for mobile phone games and played them,” reveals the 34-year-old.
She started her academy, the Global Institute of Gaming & Animations (GIGA), eight years back. “I love to watch animated movies and every time I saw a film, I wondered why there is no academy, where youngsters can learn about gaming. That’s why I started my college years back,” she says.
She stresses that the gaming industry is an apt field for women to display their creative side. “Animation is one of the fastest growing career options in our country these days. The want for increasingly skilled animators has brought about a rise in job opportunities and increased the demand for animation as a lucrative career option. The demand has exceeded the supply as the animation industry requires more than 30,000 professionals every year,” she states.
Nandiniy also says that it is high time for the mentality of parents to change — “Many parents still consider engineering and medicine as the main career option. The problem is that they aren’t aware of this industry.”
Her aim is to make people aware of the gaming field and encourage more women to take it up. “There are unimaginable possibilities in this field.”
When quizzed about balancing her work and family, she says, “Well, it is challenging. But if you are really passionate about something, it is not a tough task at all.” Nandiniy is married to Vijaykumar, who is also a businessperson. “He is very supportive and without him I will not become a entrepreneur.”
Being a woman in business is no mean feat, but Nandiniy is not worried about it — “It is a competitive field. You need to be updated about everything, and be dedicated to the work you do. I had a lot of apprehensions when I started my journey as an entrepreneur. It’s not an easy one — business will take its own time to develop and establish.
Nandiniy, who is also a fitness freak, is a strict follower of Jainism — “I am very particular about staying fit and healthy. It is a stress-buster too,” she adds as a concluding note.
