India’s Plans for Gaming Supremacy

Everything You Need to Know About India’s Roadmap to Gaming Success

For a country with over a billion people, India doesn’t create as many games as you might think. Yes, there are more being made today than there were ten years ago, but the country is still a long way off from its own Black Myth: Wukong. However, the Game Developers Association of India (GDAI) has a plan. Their goal is to achieve $10 billion in annual gaming exports and create $100 billion in overall value by 2035. Creating full-fledged video games is certainly different from simple mobile titles and casino games like those posted on the free spins no deposit casino website, and therefore requires substantial funding, strong talent pipelines, and a fully functioning domestic development ecosystem. So what exactly is their plan? Let’s go through it.

Demographic Development

As per the data, India has 4.5 million software developers and over 650 million gamers. That is an incredible resource, something that has never been capitalized on. Furthermore, it also means that India is not starting from scratch. With some investment, this army can be mobilized into an exporting machine.

That is where education comes in. GDAI wants to formally introduce game development courses in NIITs, IITs, and other leading universities to create about 15,000 programmers annually. They are also looking at partnering with Unity and Unreal to use these engines so that the students can develop the skills they need.

Financial Support

Plans are great, but everything shrivels up without finances. That is why the GDAI has a proposal. The report suggests equity-free grants of up to ₹20 million per project, a 10-year tax holiday, and zero GST on development expenses. A 50% rebate on commissions from worldwide game platforms like Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox has also been proposed to increase export feasibility.

They also have a plan for mobile gaming. This will offer 75% reimbursement of user acquisition costs on up to five eligible titles per studio.

Over the next decade, these measures could provide over ₹65 billion in grants, tax benefits, and marketing support. By 2035, yearly exports from mobile and console games are expected to reach $14.5 billion.

Bringing in Investment

To help people reinvest in the industry, the plan aims to give a tax break to anyone who chooses to invest. Approaches like this have worked previously in Turkey, where a single billion-dollar exit from Peak Games created a cascade of domestic investments. They also proposed a ten-year tax exemption for any international devs willing to relocate to India and work from there.

A suggested “Gaming Talent Visa” would expedite recruiting and assure knowledge transfer from international veterans to local teams. According to GDAI, engaging 1,000 senior international specialists might assist in educating more than 10,000 Indian developers to global standards.

Strengthening Infrastructure

GDAI says that there should be more gaming hubs across the main IT cities, like:

• Bengaluru
• Hyderabad
• Pune
• Mumbai
• Delhi

Ideally, they want to equip these with motion capture studios, labs for testing, and all the hardware capabilities needed for development. The aim of these hubs is to reduce development costs in the long run by up to 80%.

Simultaneously, the plan highlights the necessity of expanding domestic events like the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) and bolstering India’s representation at global gaming expos like GDC, Gamescom, and Tokyo Game Show. It contends that maintaining constant visibility is essential to building “Brand India” in the international gaming market.

The Payoff

According to GDAI, the gaming industry may directly employ 500,000 people by 2035 and indirectly support an additional 1.5 million jobs. According to the analysis, potential export revenue might reach $10 billion a year, with an additional $5–7 billion saved through import substitution as domestic consumers switch to Indian titles from foreign ones.

Importantly, the study emphasizes that India would be the most alluring location for gaming investments under its suggested model, surpassing well-known hubs like Canada, the UK, and Turkey, because of its zero corporate tax, GST exemptions, and 75% marketing reimbursements.

Where Does India Stand?

Things are not dire at present. More games are coming out of India of late, taking the world by storm. Although the reception has been mixed, it is on an upward trajectory. There are a lot of studios developing games in the country, and they will likely find a loyal user base ready to receive them. Some of these games include:

So, while there isn’t a cavalcade of games coming out, there is at least some work going on. An industry has to start somewhere, and India seems to be well-poised to do so. If the plan goes well, India is looking at becoming a powerhouse in the gaming industry. It is exciting to watch the birth of a new player, so we’ll surely be keeping tabs!

About the Author

Having worked in the publishing industry for more than five years, Marie Toland is a seasoned editor and publicist. She has specialized in the gaming industry for the last two years, establishing herself as a reliable source in the business. Her work covers a wide range of subjects, such as sports betting, online casinos, gambling laws, and payment technologies.

(The views, opinions, and claims in this article are solely those of the author’s and do not represent the editorial stance of The Assam Tribune)