GDAI launches India gaming report, highlights need for stronger funding

About 75% of game developers found capital or publishing investment as a barrier to growth, according to GameDev Outlook 2026, a India gaming report launched by the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) at the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) in Chennai.

The report — developed in partnership with PhonePe Appstore and research partner The Dialogue — examines the structural challenges facing Indian game developers and identifies priorities for building globally competitive studios.

The report said that it shows a need for stronger funding and publishing pathways.

Drawing on the survey of industry and academia, the report identifies access to capital, publishing expertise, production capabilities and market access as critical enablers for studios seeking to turn creative ideas into commercially viable games.

According to a press release, India’s video-game market generated an estimated $1.04 billion in revenue growing 14.8% year-on-year and reaching 511 million players. However, annual revenue per user stood at just $2.04 billion underscoring the gap between the country’s expanding player base and its monetisation potential.

The report highlights the opportunity for Indian developers to move beyond domestic audience growth and build original intellectual property (IP) with international appeal. With female participation approaching half of the player base and non-battle royale titles gaining share in mobile revenue, the evolving market also presents opportunities across genres, platforms and audience segments, the release said.

“India’s biggest advantage in gaming is its young and diverse creative base with strong original-IP ambitions. With the player base reaching well beyond the metros, the young developers now need capital at every stage and education built around real team projects,” said Sridhar Muppidi, Chairperson, GDAI.

Speaking at the launch Priya Narasimhan, Chief Business Officer, PhonePe Appstore, said: “User acquisition remains a formidable hurdle for Indian developers, making the GameDev Outlook 2026 report’s insights into user behavior critical for building with precision.”