India sees the launch of a new gaming industry organization
A group of nine game makers and distributors from India has established the Indian Game Publishers and Developers Association (IGPDA). The initiative aims to support the development of original Indian intellectual properties, integrate Indian narratives into the gaming world, and enhance abilities within the animation, visual effects, gaming, and comics (AVGC) sectors. It seeks to enable India to produce AAA-level games that can compete on a global scale.
The organization is designed to bring together key members, such as game makers, studios, distributors, and platforms, along with partners like technology providers, academic and training institutions, investors, and other contributors to the gaming ecosystem, facilitating collaborative efforts in game creation.
Founding entities of the IGPDA include:
- Nazara Technologies
- Gametion
- nCore Games
- Reliance Games
- SuperGaming
- Tara Gaming
- Underdogs
- Aeos Games
- Dot9 Games
Kaval Bombra, president of nCore Games, noted that the IGPDA serves as a unified platform for the gaming industry's voice, addressing its objectives across different regulatory and operational terrains to foster sustainable global growth of India's gaming sector.
According to Amish Tripathi, co-founder of Tara Gaming, the gaming industry surpasses others like film, literature, music, and theater combined in size, yet India captures only a small fraction of this market. He observed that the nation's gaming landscape is largely driven by mobile games with significant user numbers but limited revenue, often dominated by Chinese titles. Tripathi emphasized that developing games rooted in Indian culture could enhance the country's revenues and share its cultural narratives globally, with the IGPDA playing a vital role in advancing India towards becoming a gaming powerhouse.
The IGPDA has put forth a proposal to collaborate with Maharashtra's government, aiming to develop Mumbai into a global gaming center by attracting gaming enterprises with supportive policies.
Kaustubh Dhavse, the chief advisor of Investments and Strategy to Maharashtra's chief minister, stated that there is a focus on motivating strategic investments, forming international partnerships, and advancing major infrastructure and technology initiatives within the state, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The Maharashtra government welcomes this proactive move by India's gaming sector.
The establishment of the IGPDA follows the enactment of India's Online Gaming Bill into a formal legal framework. According to IGN India, the legislation intends to distinctively categorize traditional video games and esports apart from gambling, betting, and monetary games, and aims to eliminate platforms offering online betting, gambling, lotteries, card games with financial stakes, and fantasy sports with cash awards.