Shruti Verma to Lead GDAI as India Targets Global Gaming Dominance

In a massive power-up for the Indian gaming ecosystem, the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) officially appointed former Epic Games executive Shruti Verma as its new Chief Executive Officer on March 2, 2026. Stepping in at a critical inflexion point, Verma is taking on the reins to scale up the industry body's institutional engagement and unite the country's interactive entertainment sector. This major leadership shakeup drops just ahead of International Women's Day, highlighting a vital, surging presence of women in top-tier tech leadership.

Joining Shruti Verma on this fortified squad is Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn, who stepped onto the GDAI board to add deep global operating and publishing expertise. Alongside him, former Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) Secretary Apurva Chandra has been appointed as an advisor to the board. Together, this newly assembled leadership is expected to ensure India's gaming scene is geared up for its biggest phase yet. 

"I am honoured to step into this responsibility at a pivotal moment for India's videogaming ecosystem," Verma said regarding her appointment. She noted that as they strengthen the executive leadership, the focus will be on building a cohesive, future-ready framework that aligns policy, industry, and innovation.

Vision 2035 to Scale India’s AVGC Sector

This executive expansion is directly tied to the GDAI's ambitious "Vision 2035" goal. The master plan aims to position India among the world’s top game development hubs by enabling creators, studios, and local talent to build globally competitive intellectual property rooted in Indian storytelling. The association is making it clear that the strategy is shifting from simply scaling up to fostering sustainable, homegrown value creation.

Bridging the gap between game creators and policymakers is a crucial part of making this vision a reality. Chandra emphasized that India has taken important steps in shaping the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) policy. According to a report by MoneyContro, he expressed his commitment to fostering clear, enabling regulatory frameworks that offer stability while bolstering India’s global competitiveness. 

Echoing these high stakes, Sohn noted that the sector is witnessing an unprecedented convergence of scale, talent, and innovation. He credited GDAI for helping create that momentum and aims to support efforts to deepen governance and solidify the country's position in the global game industry. 

Building a $4.3 Billion Market

These strategic moves follow the GDAI's launch of a 21-member governing council just a month ago. The council brings together leaders from game development studios, publishing houses, distribution platforms, esports organizations, and technology enablers to create a unified voice for the sector's advocacy.

The industry body itself is a natural evolution of the country's oldest community-run game development conference, the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC), which started in 2008. In December 2024, it was formalised as GDAI—playfully pronounced “JEDI” in a nod to the Star Wars franchise.

To further its legislative goals, GDAI announced a policy secretariat in October, headed by Hemant Coomar as the Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy. This secretariat was formed to promote the video games industry and strengthen government engagement following the passing of recent online gaming laws.

The timing for all this structural groundwork couldn't be better for local developers. According to a recent report by Bitkraft Ventures and consulting firm Redseer Strategy Consultants, India’s digital gaming sector is projected to more than double to $4.3 billion by the financial year 2030, climbing rapidly from $1.9 billion in 2025.