GDAI unveils $100 billion blueprint to make India a global gaming superpower by 2035

India’s gaming ambitions have entered a decisive phase. The Gaming Developers Association of India (GDAI) has unveiled its India Gaming Vision 2035, an expansive blueprint to transform the country into one of the world’s largest gaming content exporters—on par with the United States and China.

According to the vision paper, the roadmap aims to achieve $10 billion in annual gaming exports and create $100 billion in overall value by 2035. With the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA) 2025 in place, India now has the legal foundation to scale its domestic industry into a global force.

GDAI’s Growth Push: From Talent to Tax Holidays

GDAI’s growth strategy rests on a comprehensive 10-point framework targeting skills development, capital access, global market expansion, and policy competitiveness. The association argues that India’s demographic strength—4.5 million software developers and over 650 million gamers—can be turned into a major export engine if the right incentives are deployed.

One of the key growth pillars is education. GDAI has proposed the integration of formal game development courses into IITs, NITs, and major universities to create a pipeline of 15,000 trained developers annually. Partnerships with global game engines like Unity and Unreal are expected to build world-class skills.

Parallelly, the association has called for stronger design programs within leading institutions like the National Institute of Design (NID) to nurture artists, animators, and storytellers capable of producing culturally rich and globally competitive content.

Funding and Tax Support for Studios

The roadmap identifies financing as a major bottleneck and proposes an ambitious National Incubation Program for PC and console games. It recommends equity-free grants of up to ₹2 crore per project, a decade-long tax holiday, and zero GST on development expenses. A 50% refund on commissions from global gaming platforms such as Steam, PlayStation, and Xbox has also been suggested to boost export viability.

For mobile game developers, GDAI recommends a dedicated Mobile Game Accelerator offering 75% reimbursement of user acquisition costs and up to five eligible titles per studio. The proposal aims to reduce financial risk and help Indian studios experiment with multiple game prototypes before achieving product-market fit.

Collectively, these initiatives could inject over ₹6,500 crore in grants, tax benefits, and marketing support over the next decade, with projected annual exports from mobile and console titles crossing $14.5 billion by 2035.

Incentivizing Investment and Global Talent

To build a self-sustaining ecosystem, GDAI has sought tax breaks for founders and investors reinvesting in new Indian gaming startups. Such policies, it argues, have proven successful in countries like Turkey, where a single billion-dollar exit from Peak Games created a cascade of domestic investments.

The body also advocates a 10-year tax exemption for experienced international developers willing to relocate to India. A proposed “Gaming Talent Visa” would fast-track hiring and ensure knowledge transfer from global veterans to local teams. GDAI estimates that attracting 1,000 senior international professionals could help train over 10,000 Indian developers to global standards.

Creating Gaming Hubs and Market Presence

To strengthen infrastructure, GDAI recommends setting up 10 dedicated gaming hubs across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, and Delhi—each equipped with motion capture studios, testing labs, and high-end development hardware. These hubs would reduce development costs by up to 80% for smaller studios and encourage collaboration across the industry.

In tandem, the roadmap emphasizes the need for India’s stronger presence at international gaming expos like GDC, Gamescom, and Tokyo Game Show, while scaling domestic events such as the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC). Consistent visibility, it argues, is crucial to establishing “Brand India” in the global gaming landscape.

The Economic Payoff

By 2035, GDAI projects that the gaming sector could directly employ 500,000 people and support an additional 1.5 million jobs indirectly. The report pegs potential export earnings at $10 billion annually, with another $5–7 billion saved through import substitution as Indian titles replace foreign ones in the domestic market.

Crucially, the paper underscores that India’s proposed model—with zero corporate tax, GST exemptions, and 75% marketing refunds—would make it the most attractive destination for gaming investments, outperforming established hubs like Canada, the UK, and Turkey.

The Cost of Inaction

The GDAI warns that if India fails to seize the opportunity, its domestic gaming market—expected to reach $7 billion by 2035—could be dominated by foreign studios, resulting in annual forex losses of up to $7 billion and large-scale talent migration.

“The window of opportunity won’t stay open forever,” the paper notes. “With the right mix of incentives, infrastructure, and intent, India can become the world’s next gaming superpower—creating jobs, exports, and digital influence on a global scale.”

In essence, India Gaming Vision 2035 positions gaming not just as an entertainment industry, but as a critical driver of economic growth, cultural diplomacy, and national competitiveness in the digital age.