Tencent Invests Over Rs. 10 Crore in India's Gaming and AVGC Sector
- Sagar Mankar
- 11 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Tencent has officially signed two separate multi-year partnerships with Indian industry bodies to support the country's gaming and animation ecosystem.
The Chinese tech giant has partnered with the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and the Game Developers Association of India (GDAI).
Together, these agreements come with an initial outlay of over Rs. 10 crore (approximately US$ 1.08 million) in resources, programmes, and curriculum initiatives. The event, titled "Tencent | Building India's Orange Economy Together," was held in New Delhi, where both Memorandums of Understanding were formally signed.
Why This Matters
India's AVGC sector is currently valued at around USD 2.5 to 3 billion. According to projections shared at the event, it is expected to grow to USD 26 billion in the coming years.
The gaming segment within this is growing at a 14% CAGR and is projected to hit USD 16 billion by 2034.
As per research firm Niko Partners, India is already the fastest-growing gaming market in Asia and the MENA region. The numbers being discussed are:
724 million gamers expected by 2029
USD 1.5 billion in player spending projected by 2028
The Indian gaming market is currently valued between USD 3.7 and 3.9 billion
India's long-term AVGC export ambition stands at USD 1 trillion
What the Partnerships Actually Include
The GDAI partnership has a three-year structure focused on practical developer engagement. Key initiatives under this include:
A National Game Jam targeting over 10,000 students annually
Train-the-Trainer programmes to develop 20 industry-aligned educators
A studio incubation programme for at least 10 studios
Institutional participation in the Indian Game Developers Conference
On the other hand, the SEPC partnership is focused more on international market access. It is aimed at helping Indian AVGC companies connect with global value chains and scale their operations beyond domestic borders.
The Talent Problem India Needs to Solve
Shruti Verma, CEO of GDAI, put it plainly at the event. "Indian talent is good with technology and art. What is missing is knowing how to put all of it together."
That observation gets to the core of why the GDAI-Tencent structure is built the way it is. The goal is to deliver what Verma called "wholesome courses" that cover game design, business fundamentals, and production workflows together rather than in isolation.
"Right now, there are different aspects of game development that aspiring professionals need to consider simultaneously. How to develop games, how to do business within the industry, how to think about the whole pipeline. We need to look at this holistically, so that the output is as industry-ready as it can be," she added.
India's government has set a target of training and placing two million skilled professionals in the AVGC-XR sector by 2030. With 15,000 schools already equipped with Creator Labs and 500 colleges engaged in related programmes, the infrastructure is taking shape. Whether it accelerates depends on how quickly these partnerships move from signed agreements to actual implementation.
Meanwhile, Tencent’s gaming portfolio in India has been steadily growing. Honor of Kings launched earlier this year, marking the company’s strong return to the market after years of limited presence following the 2020 PUBG Mobile ban. Developed by TiMi Studio, it’s a major MOBA title.
Arena Breakout, a tactical extraction shooter from Tencent-backed MoreFun Studios, began its Closed Beta Test in India around March 2026 on Android and iOS, with a full launch expected soon.
PUBG Mobile’s Tencent version is still off-limits in India, with BGMI from Krafton filling the gap in the local gaming scene. There’s a chance now it could return, as many players are eager for the international version to make a comeback and fuel their esports dreams. For now, the ban keeps most Indian gamers out of global PUBG Mobile tournaments.