Highlights
- GDAI highlighted fundamental challenges faced by India's game development industry at IGDC 2026.
- Speakers stressed the importance of global competitiveness and sustainable game development.
- The discussion explored how emerging technologies and industry collaboration could support Indian studios.
India's game development industry needs better access to funding, global expertise, and industry-led training to build sustainable businesses. Speakers highlighted these challenges during the launch of the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI)'s GameDev Outlook Report 2026 at the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) 2026 on Oct 29, 2026.
The session, titled Unveiling the GDAI GameDev Outlook Report 2026: Insights, Impact, and the Road to Global Scale, took place in Hall 1 from 10:30 am to 11:15 am on Day 2. The speakers were Aman Mishra, program manager at The Dialogue; Manvendra Shukul, founder and emeritus chairman of Lakshya Digital; Shivani Srivastava, head of app developer ecosystem and ads at PhonePe; and Sridhar Muppidi, co-founder of YesGnome.
Kazim Rizvi, Founding Director of The Dialogue, served as the moderator.
The discussion covered monetization challenges, game quality, talent development, and artificial intelligence (AI) in game production. Outlook Respawn covered the session, which focused on helping Indian studios strengthen their development capabilities and compete in international markets.
GDAI Panel Urges Indian Studios to Target Global Markets
Panelists argued that developers must compete with international titles rather than build games exclusively for Indian audiences. One speaker described game quality as “the non-negotiable,” emphasizing that monetization strategies cannot compensate for games that fail to attract players.
GDAI's GameDev Outlook 2026 report recorded India's gaming market revenue at $1.04B USD in 2025, with 511M players and an average revenue per user (ARPU) of $2.04. The panel discussed tailoring advertising, in-app purchases, and subscriptions to different genres, retention patterns, device capabilities, and audience segments.
Speakers also highlighted rising hardware costs, including memory and storage, amid growing demand from AI infrastructure.
Panel Flags Education, AI Gaps, and Funding
Panelists called for better access to existing government funding schemes, particularly for early-stage development.
They likewise advocated industry-designed curricula, faculty training, and partnerships between studios and educational institutions to address gaps in job-ready skills. Panelists also cautioned that developing experienced teams requires sustained training and exposure to international expertise.
AI adoption emerged as another priority.
Speakers urged developers to adopt AI across programming, art, and game design, with one panelist advising them to “use as much AI as possible.” The speaker added that developers should “use it as a tool to elevate whatever you are already doing and make it better,” rather than produce low-quality work.
The discussion concluded with calls for developers to use data early in production, identify target audiences, and prioritize game quality. Panelists pointed out that industry bodies should “work closely with the government and other government departments” to improve awareness of existing funding schemes and help Indian studios compete internationally.
