India Gaming Vision 2035 Roadmap: $10B Exports, Tax Holidays, and Talent Push
- Sagar Mankar
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
India’s Gaming Developers Association (GDAI) has unveiled its India Gaming Vision 2035, a roadmap designed to position the country as a global gaming superpower.
The plan sets ambitious targets: $10 billion in annual gaming exports and $100 billion in overall industry value by 2035.
With the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA) 2025 already in place, India now has the legal framework to scale its domestic industry into a global competitor.
What makes this vision compelling is its 10‑point framework that touches every corner of the ecosystem: education, funding, infrastructure, and global visibility.
As per reports, GDAI believes India’s demographic strength, over 650 million gamers and 4.5 million software developers, can be transformed into an export engine if the right incentives are applied.
Education is a major pillar. The proposal includes integrating game development courses into IITs, NITs, and major universities, aiming to train 15,000 developers annually. Partnerships with Unity and Unreal Engine are expected to sharpen technical skills, while design programs at institutions like NID would nurture artists and storytellers capable of producing culturally rich content.
Funding is another critical area. GDAI suggests a National Incubation Program for PC and console games, offering equity‑free grants of up to ₹2 crore per project, a decade‑long tax holiday, and zero GST on development expenses.
For mobile developers, a Mobile Game Accelerator would reimburse 75% of user acquisition costs, allowing studios to experiment with multiple prototypes without heavy financial risk. Collectively, these measures could inject ₹6,500 crore in grants and tax benefits over the next decade.
The roadmap also emphasizes global talent and investment. A proposed “Gaming Talent Visa” would attract experienced international developers with tax exemptions, ensuring knowledge transfer to local teams. GDAI estimates that bringing in 1,000 senior professionals could help train over 10,000 Indian developers to global standards.
Infrastructure plays a big role too. Plans include 10 dedicated gaming hubs across Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, and Delhi, equipped with motion capture studios, testing labs, and high‑end hardware. These hubs could cut development costs by up to 80% for smaller studios.
At the same time, India’s presence at global expos like GDC, Gamescom, and Tokyo Game Show will be scaled up, while domestic events such as IGDC will be expanded to strengthen “Brand India.”
The economic payoff is significant. By 2035, the sector could directly employ 500,000 people and support another 1.5 million jobs indirectly. Export earnings are projected at $10 billion annually, with additional savings from reduced reliance on foreign titles.
But the GDAI also warns of the cost of inaction. If India doesn’t seize this opportunity, foreign studios could dominate its $7 billion domestic market, leading to forex losses and talent migration.
In short, India Gaming Vision 2035 positions gaming as more than entertainment; it’s framed as a driver of economic growth, cultural diplomacy, and national competitiveness.