Top Studios Form Association to Champion 'Made-in-India' Games
Published By : Satya Mohapatra
| August 26, 2025 1:24 PM
A New Level for Indian Gaming
In the wake of a sweeping new law that has upended the online real-money gaming sector, India’s leading video game developers and publishers are forging a new path. Major industry players, including Nazara Technologies and nCore Games, have joined forces to create the Indian Game Publishers and Developers Association (IGPDA). This new body aims to draw a clear distinction between creative video game develop
ment and real-money gaming, providing a unified voice to champion original, "Made-in-India" intellectual property and position the country as a global powerhouse in the interactive entertainment industry.
The formation of the IGPDA is a direct and strategic response to the government's recent legislation targeting online money games. With that sector facing an existential crisis, the country's creative video game studios have moved to establish their own identity and advocate for their unique interests. The association’s core mission is to shift the narrative away from consumption and towards creation. It will focus on promoting the development of original Indian IP, retelling the nation's rich stories through gaming, and building the necessary skills across the industry to produce globally competitive, big-budget "AAA" titles.
The Economic and Cultural Mission
The need for such an organization is underscored by a stark economic reality. While India’s video gaming market has surpassed $1 billion in revenue, the vast majority of that money—over $800 million annually—flows to foreign-owned games that have no physical presence or investment in the country. The IGPDA aims to reverse this trend by empowering domestic studios to capture a larger share of their own market. Leaders of the new association argue that this is not just an economic imperative but a cultural one. By creating games based on Indian culture and mythology, the industry can become a powerful vehicle for cultural export, much like the film and music industries.
Building a World-Class Ecosystem
The IGPDA is not just a lobbying group; it is actively working to build the foundational ecosystem for long-term growth. The association is already proposing a partnership with the Maharashtra government to transform Mumbai into a global gaming hub through supportive policies. This initiative aligns with the central government's plans to promote the sector through the newly established Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT), a Centre of Excellence designed to foster talent and innovation in the gaming and animation industries. This collaborative approach between industry and government signals a shared vision to nurture a self-sustaining and globally competitive creative economy.
The New Regulatory Landscape
•New Industry Body: Leading Indian video game companies like Nazara and nCore Games have formed the Indian Game Publishers and Developers Association (IGPDA).
•Response to New Law: The association was created to distinguish the creative video game industry from the recently banned real-money gaming sector.
•Focus on Indian IP: The IGPDA’s primary mission is to promote the creation of original "Made-in-India" games, reduce reliance on foreign titles, and turn India into a cultural exporter.
•Government Collaboration: The initiative is supported by government plans for a new creative technologies institute and a partnership to make Mumbai a global gaming hub.
