India Game Developer Conference 2024: A Global Gathering of Gaming Visionaries

Gaming experts from around the world have gathered at HICC Hyderabad for the 16th annual India Game Developer Conference (IGDC), an initiative of the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI). The three-day event kicked off with impressive momentum, attracting more than 6,000 attendees on its first day. The expo, which is also part of IGDC, features over 100 global and local gaming developers and publishers, offering visitors a highly interactive and immersive entertainment experience.

A key highlight of day one was the participation of Mr. Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), Government of India, who took part in policy meetings with founders and CXOs from leading video gaming and interactive entertainment companies in India.

During a media interaction at IGDC 2024, Mr. Jaju emphasized that the government is aware of the distinction between the video gaming and interactive entertainment industry and the real-money gaming sector. He highlighted that the video gaming industry thrives on creativity and content, and assured that the MIB would collaborate with the Game Developer Association of India to develop high-quality talent at scale, aiming to make India a dominant force in the global gaming market.

On the same day, the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) was officially launched with a mission to unite, promote, and elevate India’s rapidly growing video gaming and interactive entertainment industry. Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Mr. Sridhar Muppidi, Chairperson of GDAI, explained that the association will serve as a unified platform for industry growth, policy advocacy, and strategic collaborations with government ministries to position India as a global leader in the gaming space.

GDAI was formed in response to the rapid growth of India’s gaming industry, which now boasts over 500 million gamers and generates nearly ₹10,000 crore in revenue. However, the sector faces challenges such as the need for clearer distinction from real-money gaming, improved talent development, and greater funding support for the emerging ecosystem. Muppidi further expressed that GDAI’s vision is to establish India as a premier destination for game development and interactive entertainment, and he stressed the need for a centralized regulatory authority under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, given its oversight of entertainment content.

Day one at IGDC 2024 featured several engaging panel discussions, including topics such as "Level Up Game Development Using Generative AI," "Powering Global Gaming: Strategic Investments and Market Dominance," "Web Games: Revolutionizing the Gaming Landscape," and "India Gaming Market Status Quo." Notable panelists included Keerti Singh (Co-Founder, VP Growth, Hitwicket), Roby John (CEO, Super Gaming), and Sean Sohn (CEO, Krafton Inc. India).

Mr. Sanjay Jaju also delivered a keynote speech on “Shaping the Future: Insights and Vision for the Game Industry.” Other speakers included Wilhelm That, Senior VP and General Manager of Scopely, who spoke on lessons from India’s top games and the success of Monopoly Go, and Abhimanyu Kumar, Co-Founder of Naavik, who shared insights on emerging trends in mobile free-to-play (F2P) games.