India's Video Game Industry Gets a Policy Secretariat

India's video game industry is establishing a formal policy office, seeking to navigate an evolving regulatory landscape and position the country as a global development hub.

The Game Developer Association of India announced Thursday the creation of a Policy Secretariat in Delhi-NCR, marking an effort to create a unified industry voice in dealings with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and state governments on animation, visual effects, gaming and comics policies.

The move follows the implementation of PROGA 2025, India's framework for digital entertainment, and comes as analysts project the country's gaming market could reach $30 billion within a decade, up from its current valuation of roughly $3 billion.

"The GDAI Policy Secretariat will empower startups, promote exports, and position India as a global hub for culturally rich and responsible video game development," said Sridhar Muppidi, the association's chairman and founder of Yesgnome Interactive.

New Gaming Policy Framework Targets Regulatory Clarity and Export Growth

The secretariat will be directed by Hemant Coomar, a veteran policymaker with three decades of cross-sector experience in government affairs and public policy. The core committee includes Mr. Muppidi alongside industry figures Manvendra Shukul of Lakshya Digital, Shruti Verma of Epic Games, and Nitish Mittersain of Nazara Technologies. KRAFTON India, publisher of the popular mobile game Battlegrounds Mobile India, joins as an invitee member.

The initiative aims to bridge developers with regulators and lawmakers, advocating for state-backed gaming clusters and incubation hubs modeled on Karnataka and Maharashtra's existing centers of excellence for animation and visual effects.

GDAI is pushing for clearer regulatory definitions around virtual items, microtransactions and monetization schemes. Industry executives say these distinctions are crucial to avoid misclassifying video games and to support emerging sectors like social gaming and esports.

The group also plans to work with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology on voluntary industry standards covering user safety, data protection and content labeling.

The secretariat proposal includes a national mentorship program linking academic institutions with game studios, along with shared resources and co-production facilities to support smaller developers.

India's approach echoes strategies in South Korea and the United Kingdom, where government-backed policy frameworks have helped streamline compliance requirements and establish export incentives for domestic gaming companies.