India’s gaming industry has taken a decisive step forward with the launch of the Indian Game Publishers and Developers Association (IGPDA). Conceived as a united voice for developers and publishers, the body has pledged to drive original IP creation, build globally competitive AAA titles, and scale the country’s interactive entertainment ecosystem.
As part of its roadmap, the association has proposed a state-level partnership with Maharashtra, aiming to position Mumbai as a global hub for gaming. By collaborating with the government, IGPDA hopes to attract investments, foster talent, and create the policy framework needed to make India a leading force in gaming.
Kaustubh Dhavse, Chief Advisor (Investments & Strategy) to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, said, “Our focus has been to drive strategic investments, foster global partnerships, and accelerate transformative infrastructure and technology initiatives in Maharashtra under the visionary leadership of Hon. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. We welcome this proactive initiative from the Indian games industry.”
Backed By Institutions, Driven By Industry Leaders
The formation of IGPDA comes close on the heels of the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), a Centre of Excellence supported by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of Maharashtra, FICCI, and CII. Together, these initiatives aim to strengthen the AVGC-XR ecosystem (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, and Extended Reality) by nurturing skills, supporting innovation, and showcasing Indian creativity to the world.
Founding members of IGPDA include some of the most successful names in Indian gaming, such as Nazara Technologies, Gametion, nCore Games, Reliance Games, SuperGaming, Tara Gaming, underDOGS Studio, Aeos Games, and Dot9 Games.
Vishal Gondal, Founder and Chairman of nCore Games, remarked, “For the first time, India’s developers and publishers have a unified voice. With the IGPDA, we can chart a future where Indian studios build iconic IP that competes globally. This is about more than games — it’s about creating a cultural legacy for India.”
A Push For ‘Made in India’ Games
The association is not only about building blockbuster titles but also about shifting revenue back into India’s economy. Currently, the country’s gaming market has crossed $1 billion, yet more than $800 million each year flows to foreign publishers. IGPDA aims to change that by scaling Indian studios, strengthening esports, and building homegrown franchises that resonate worldwide.
Industry leaders echoed the cultural significance of this move. Amit Khanduja, CEO of Reliance Games, noted, “With the launch of IGPDA, we are committed to advancing the Make in India, for the World vision by producing original AAA games that bring Indian creativity and stories to global audiences.”
Similarly, Amish Tripathi, bestselling author and Co-founder of Tara Gaming, stressed the economic and cultural opportunity, saying, “Video gaming is the biggest creative industry; it’s bigger than movies, books, music, and theatre combined. India gets very little of the pie. Much of our gaming industry presently is mobile-game-dominated, which has a large number of users but not enough revenue. The market is also dominated by Chinese games. But with our own games, based on our own culture, we could actually bring revenue into the country and also export our culture. IGPDA will supercharge this effort to make India a gaming superpower.”
With its first major on-ground event scheduled later this year, the IGPDA is setting the stage for India to not just be a participant, but a leader, in the global gaming revolution.
