Made-In-India Video Games Winning The World Over

The Indian gaming industry is experiencing a significant transformation, as more homegrown companies develop high-quality, high-budget, globally competitive games. This shift marks a departure from the previous focus on casual games, with Indian game developers now aiming for more ambitious projects.

In the past month alone, two major AAA games have launched: Indus Battle Royale and Rage Effect: Mobile. The former, a battle royale game, has garnered nearly 5 million downloads across Android and iOS since its release on October 16, while Rage Effect: Mobile, an AAA shooter, has already seen over 120,000 pre-registrations during its open beta phase.

Roby John, co-founder and CEO of SuperGaming, the developer behind Indus Battle Royale, expressed pride in creating a game that resonates with Indian players while competing internationally. "As an Indian studio, we’re proud to be creating a game that resonates with local audiences while also competing globally. In addition to the strong download numbers, we’ve announced a year-long esports tournament with a Rs 2.5-crore prize pool. This is designed to support upcoming gaming talent in India and give them a platform to showcase their skills," he said. The game, developed by a 160-person team, has received substantial investment from major entities, including Bandai Namco and Akatsuki Entertainment, which underscores growing investor confidence in the Indian gaming sector.

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Deepak Ail, co-founder and CEO of Dot9 Games, pointed to the rising potential of Indian games, likening them to Indian cinema as a form of cultural export. "Just like Indian movies act as cultural soft power, Indian games, too, can rise to that level. It’s something that the government is aware of and is encouraging," he noted. Dot9 Games is preparing to release Fearless and United Guards (FAU-G): Domination, a first-person shooter based on Indian military themes. Early playtests have generated excitement, with nearly 90% of participants responding positively to the game's Indian military backdrop.

This shift toward high-budget titles is being recognized as a significant development in the Indian gaming industry. Roland Landers, spokesperson for the All India Game Developers’ Forum (AIGDF), remarked on the trend. "In recent years, several studios have been able to secure large-scale investments and have begun developing AAA-quality games, showing a commitment to meet global standards. Indian gaming unicorns and established companies alike have set up studios and committed significant resources to creating high-quality games, signaling that the industry is ready to move beyond its initial focus on mobile and fantasy games," he said.

Vaibhav Chavan, founder and CEO of UnderDOGS, a Mumbai-based gaming studio, echoed these sentiments, pointing to the rapid growth of mobile gaming and predicting that India will soon see a wave of globally competitive, homegrown titles. "Look at how the mobile gaming sector grew within just five years; we’re now witnessing a notable increase in developers creating high-quality, homegrown titles that can stand out globally. What India needs is more success stories to showcase. While capital is available, it’s the scarcity of such hero stories that limits the industry’s confidence. I believe we’ll see at least five remarkable IPs emerging from India over the next three years, which will drastically shift the landscape and pave the way for numerous world-class games with solid financial backing," he said.

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UnderDOGS is currently working on Mukti, a first-person exploration game that won the India Hero Project, an initiative by Sony Interactive Entertainment to support Indian developers. Chavan added, "We’re approaching our first playable version, a key milestone that will allow us to refine core gameplay and move smoothly into the alpha phase and beyond."

However, despite the growing momentum, funding remains a significant hurdle. "Game development is a capital-intensive process, particularly as projects scale up in ambition and scope," said John of SuperGaming. "While India’s lower cost of living and operational costs give developers an edge, creating high-quality games that can compete internationally still requires substantial investment."

Ail of Dot9 Games highlighted that game development costs for Indian studios range from $1 to $2 million annually, depending on the scale of the project. "If your game takes several years to develop, you can multiply that by the total years. More often than not, game studios outside India usually need 5-10 times that amount depending where they’re based," he explained.

Beyond funding, Chavan of UnderDOGS pointed to a skills gap in the industry. "While there is talent, the deeper understanding, expertise, and techniques required to produce world-class titles are still developing. One reason for this is that many of us haven’t had experience working on large-scale titles. For us, Sony addressed this challenge directly—beyond funding, they brought essential technical expertise to the table," he said.

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Government support is crucial for the sector’s growth, said Landers of AIGDF. "Under Prime Minister Modi’s ‘Digital India’ vision, the government has made strides in improving infrastructure and developing policies at both central and state levels. Financial support through grants, tax incentives, and skill development initiatives can significantly boost the industry. Additionally, establishing a trusted certification programme for Indian games could enhance consumer confidence and position Indian studios as high-quality content producers," he concluded.

In a bid to help Indian gaming startups achieve global recognition, companies like WinZO are stepping in. Earlier this year, WinZO launched Bharat Tech Triumph, an initiative to showcase the products of Indian tech and gaming companies at the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco. Paavan Nanda, co-founder of WinZO, explained, "By showcasing inspiring stories of Indian entrepreneurs and startups, WinZO aims to ignite the spirit of technological innovation and export culturally relevant content that can deepen the understanding of India’s culture and society."

With increasing investment, government support, and a growing pool of talented developers, the Indian gaming industry appears poised to make a major global impact.

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