State and Central Government’s Collaborative Efforts to Foster Talent and Innovation in the Video Gaming Sector at IGDC 2024

Hyderabad, November 15, 2024: Day Two of the 16th edition of the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC), an initiative of Game Developer Association of India (GDAI), kicked off with a strong call for collaboration between state and central ministries to propel India’s emerging video gaming and interactive entertainment sector onto the global stage. Industry leaders and key government officials which included Mr. D. Sridhar Babu, Telangana IT Minister and Dr. Palanivel Thiagarajan, Tamil Nadu IT Minister, amongst other key dignitaries emphasised the strategic role of state and central cooperation in fostering talent, infrastructure, and innovation.

The day began with policy round tables meets with the GDAI board members, CXOs of gaming companies, Ministers and other policymakers brainstorming on initiatives that are key for the growth of the India video gaming industry. Some of the top video gaming companies that were part of the policy round table included Nazara Technologies (only listed gaming company In India), Playsimple, Super Gaming, Nodwin Gaming, Mayhem, Lakshya Digital, EA, Winzo, YesGnome, 99 games, Leela Games amongst others.

Special Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Smt. Neerja Sekhar built upon the momentum generated on the policy discussion with Shri. Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, MIB on day 1 of IGDC by expressing enthusiasm for the establishment of a premier game development school and inclusion of gaming courses among premier tech, design and arts colleges of India. The industry will deliberate and present a detailed project report to the central government. This initiative aims to address the growing need for skilled talent in game design and development, creating a pipeline of world-class game creators.

As part of the discussions, the state governments of Tamil Nadu and Telangana engaged actively with GDAI members and MIB officials and requested establishing regional Centre of Excellence (CoE) hubs in Telangana and Tamilnadu for a broader vision for the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector. These regional CoEs will then serve as local hubs for research, development, and training in game design and interactive media.

The day also saw signing of MoUs between GDAI and various state governments including Rajasthan and Sikkim.

In another significant development, the Incubator White Paper, prepared by the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) after extensive industry consultation, was released jointly by the Tamil Nadu IT Minister, Dr. Palanivel Thiagarajan and the Special Secretary of MIB Neerja Sekhar. The white paper outlines a common framework for the establishment of incubators across the country, aimed at nurturing intellectual property (IP) development and supporting early-stage gaming start-ups.

The IT Ministers from Telangana and Tamil Nadu highlighted the spirit of competition and collaboration between states, aiming to attract global gaming companies and local talent to their respective regions. Both states are vying to become the preferred destination for gaming studios, leveraging infrastructure, policy support, and talent development initiatives to build a thriving ecosystem.

The discussions at IGDC 2024 underscored the importance of a unified approach, with the central government facilitating cross-ministry interactions, including with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Commerce. This coordinated effort aims to align policy measures, drive innovation, and position India as a leading player in the global gaming industry.

The panel discussions on Day Two at IGDC 2024 included “Unlocking the Future: The Governments Pivotal Role in Developing Talent for the Games Industry” panelists Laiju IP Nair, HOD-COE and Skill Demand Aggregation, Dept. of Higher Edn. Govt. of Kerala, Mohit Soni, CEO-MESC, Shrikant Sinha, CEO- TASK; “Bridging the Gap: How colleges are shaping and must evolve to build the game development talent of tomorrow”- panelists Chaitanya Chinchlikar- VP & Business Head- Whistling Woods International, Derek Ham-Director of the ETC, Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center, Dr. Padmavati; Unlocking Growth: The Science of Analytics and User Acquisition- Panellists Jasmeet Singh, Product Director, Nukebox Studios, Pankaj Uniyal, BD-Lead, India and the US, SocialPeta, Priyanka Singh-Director Sales- APAC, Country Manager India, Digital Turbine, Shreyas Mehta- Customer Success Group Leader, AppsFlyer