Meet GDAI, India's first video games trade body

The creation of the India Game Developers Conference in 2008 has been key not only to enabling collaboration and organisation within the Indian games industry, but also highlighting the work of India's developers to the world.

That collaboration took a significant step forward last month with the formation of the Game Developer Association of India – the nation's first games-specific trade body. The new organisation is led by a governing council of over 30 experienced industry leaders and a formal board of fellow veterans. Sridhar Muppidi, co-founder of mobile developer Yesgnome, serves as its first president.

"As gaming in India has expanded, the need for a unified dialogue with policymakers became clear," Muppidi tells GamesIndustry.biz. "GDAI was formed to address this, working closely with the government to tackle talent shortages and create an environment where Indian IPs can achieve global success."

Muppidi is supported by six full-time staff who handle GDAI's operations and explore new initiatives. The trade body already has 200 members signed up, including all of the top games studios in India – and there's a waiting list of over 1,000 individuals and companies who hope to join.

"As gaming in India has expanded, the need for a unified dialogue with policymakers became clear"

The GDAI president points to this demand as proof that such a body is needed in this market.

"There are already several associations in related fields like esports, fantasy gaming, and real-money skill gaming, but most are funded by one or two large entities," he explains. "Conventional game developers don’t have a strong voice or a seat at the table with government officials. We felt it was essential to have representation in policy discussions at both state and central levels.

"Additionally, unlike other associations, GDAI focuses heavily on talent development. By working with educational institutions to include game development electives and advocating for policies to attract international talent, we aim to strengthen the ecosystem.

"Finally, GDAI’s financial independence – thanks to initiatives like IGDC [which is partly organised by the GDAI team] – allows us to take everyone along in policy advocacy without being tied to specific interests."

Muppidi tells us the GDAI's goal is to make India one of the top three game development countries in the world when it comes to generating revenue and producing quality work. With major games companies like EA, Zynga, Ubisoft, Rockstar, and more, all tapping into India's talent for everything from art production to live operations, there is potential for the industry to grow and achieve this goal.

GDAI has several plans to help with this, including setting up incubators with state governments to help establish games development hubs around the country. Some incubators have already been set up, such as the gaming and AI-focused Image Incubator in Hyderabad and the National Centre of Excellence in Mumbai.

The trade body also hopes to advise the national government so that the industry has a voice when it comes to regulatory matters that might affect games companies. Muppidi says the government has been fairly receptive so far, with interest from the very top.

"Shri Narendra Modi, our Prime Minister, has been a strong supporter of the gaming industry, and both state and central governments have been proactive in addressing key concerns," he says.

GDAI will also continue to run the India pavilion at international games events such as GDC and Gamescom, and of course to grow IGDC. The domestic conference is being positioned as particularly important to highlighting the work being done when it comes to improving India's games industry.

"Shri Narendra Modi, our Prime Minister, has been a strong supporter of the gaming industry"

"IGDC has been instrumental in providing exposure for Indian developers, connecting them with global studios, publishers, and platforms," says Muppidi. "It has also become a key event for networking and showcasing India’s talent.

"GDAI builds on this by providing year-round support, from talent development and funding to policy advocacy. Together, IGDC and GDAI aim to elevate Indian developers on a global stage."

As we covered yesterday, India is a crucial emerging market with a huge population – Muppidi estimates that 15% of all players globally can be found in India. This audience has begun engaging with games significantly more over the past six years and is even starting to spend more on the pastime.

"This creates a stable local market for Indian developers to build and refine their games while gaining the expertise needed to expand globally. It also presents opportunities for international developers to collaborate with local talent and tap into this growing market."