The Game Developer Association of India (GDAI), a video game industry body, has announced the formation of a Policy Secretariat for the promotion and growth of the video games industry in India and for strengthening engagement with government bodies.
This move comes after the Indian government recently introduced an online gaming law that prohibits real-money games and seeks to promote online social games.
What will the Policy Secretariat do?
Established in Delhi NCR, the Policy Secretariat will serve as a unified voice for the industry, working closely with central and state governments to shape policies that encourage innovation, safeguard industry interests, and promote sustainable growth within the country’s fast-evolving gaming ecosystem, the industry body said.
GDAI added that it will also work to ensure clarity in the definitions of stakes and virtual items to prevent the misclassification of legitimate video games, advocate for due process safeguards in enforcement actions, and promote responsible, creative growth aligned with international best practices.
Who will head GDAI's Policy Secretariat?
The Secretariat will be headed by Hemant Coomar who has been appointed as Director, Government Affairs & Public Policy of GDAI. Coomar has over 30 years of experiences across various sectors spanning manufacturing, telecom, and power transmission.
He played a key role in the introduction and rollout of the Aadhaar-based eKYC customer acquisition process and has previously worked with organisations such as Bharti Airtel, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and the Association of Unified Telecom Service Providers of India (AUSPI).
"The GDAI Policy Secretariat will work closely with the government to shape globally aligned, innovation-friendly regulations that empower startups, promote exports, and position India as a global hub for culturally rich and responsible video game development,” said Sridhar Muppidi, Chairperson, GDAI.
'Bridge between regulators and industry'
GDAI stated that the Secretariat will act as a bridge between policymakers, regulators, and the video games industry, ensuring that India’s gaming landscape, spanning large gaming companies, indie developers, studios developing both product and offering services, and mobile-first creators, receives an enabling regulatory environment.
“The establishment of the GDAI Policy Secretariat marks a significant step toward shaping a progressive and globally competitive gaming ecosystem in India. Our goal is to ensure clear recognition of online social games as distinct from online money games and Esports, while advocating for proportionate, globally aligned regulation that encourages innovation rather than restricts it,” Coomar said.
GDAI in a nutshell
In December, Moneycontrol reported that India’s gaming industry veterans have come together to form GDAI, pronounced “JEDI” in a nod to the Star Wars franchise.
The association is an extension of the country's oldest community-run game development conference, the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC), started in 2008.
GDAI's leadership includes Yesgnome's Sridhar Muppidi, Nazara Technologies' Nitish Mittersain, JetSynthesys's Rajan Navani, KGeN's Manish Agarwal, Lakshya Digital's Manvendra Shukul, Epic Games' Shruti Verma, and gaming industry pioneer Rajesh Rao.
South Korean gaming giant Krafton India is also part of the leadership team as an invitee member to the Policy Committee, the industry body said.
Last year, GDAI also released a white paper detailing a roadmap for incubation and ecosystem development to boost the sector.
India is the fastest-growing games market in Asia, both in terms of revenue and gamers, according to Niko Partners, a market research and consulting firm that covers video games, e-sports, and streaming in the continent.
The country's mobile, PC and console gaming market is expected to reach $1.4 billion in revenue by 2028, growing at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.1 percent. This doesn't include revenue from real-money games or exports.
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