The Indian gaming sector is experiencing a significant transformation as more local companies dive into creating high-quality, large-budget games that can compete on the global stage.
This marks a monumental shift away from the casual games that dominated the Indian market for years.
In October alone, two high-profile AAA games made their debut: Indus Battle Royale and Rage Effect: Mobile.
Indus Battle Royale, a highly anticipated battle royale game, has already amassed nearly 5 million downloads across Android and iOS platforms since its 16 October release.
Rage Effect: Mobile, an AAA shooter, has already garnered over 120,000 pre-registrations during its open beta.
Roby John, Co-founder and CEO of SuperGaming, the Pune-based studio behind Indus Battle Royale, expressed his pride in the game’s success.
He stated, “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.”
SuperGaming’s Indus Battle Royale was developed by a dedicated team of 160 professionals and has secured substantial investments from major players like Bandai Namco, Akatsuki Entertainment, Skycatcher, and 1Up Ventures.
“Their support underscores the increasing confidence in the Indian gaming industry and its capacity to deliver an innovative battle royale experience,” John added.
Deepak Ail, Co-founder and CEO of Dot9 Games, the studio behind the much-anticipated FAU-G: Domination – a made-in-India first-person shooter (FPS) echoed the sentiment.
“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,” Ail remarked.
FAU-G has already stirred excitement even before its official release, with early playtests in cities like Gurugram and Mumbai showing impressive audience engagement, with 90% resonating with its Indian military themes.
The rise of AAA titles like Indus Battle Royale and FAU-G marks a promising new chapter for the Indian gaming industry.
Roland Landers, Spokesperson for the All India Game Developers’ Forum (AIGDF), noted, “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.”
As homegrown titles continue to flourish, developers are however expressing optimism about India’s evolving game development landscape.
Vaibhav Chavan, Founder and CEO of UnderDOGS, a Mumbai-based gaming studio known for creating over 250 games across mobile, PC, and console platforms, including original intellectual properties (IPs), stated that the rise of homegrown titles will encourage more Indian developers and studios to create high-quality, world-class games.
“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 added.
UnderDOGS is currently working on Mukti, a first-person narrative-driven game that recently won the India Hero Project, an incubator program by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Chavan revealed, “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. This build will serve as a solid foundation, helping us scale production and set the direction for the later stages of development.”
However, despite these positive developments, challenges remain. Funding is one of the primary hurdles, with game development being a capital-intensive process.
John of SuperGaming explained, “Game development is a capital-intensive process, particularly as projects scale up in ambition and scope. 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. Unfortunately, local investors tend to lean towards sectors with quicker returns, and are often hesitant to support the longer, costlier development cycles associated with more sophisticated gaming projects.”
Ail echoed this sentiment, highlighting that game studios in India typically operate with an annual budget of $1-2 million, while studios in other countries may require five to ten times that amount.
He added, “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.”
Beyond funding, there is also the challenge of developing the deep technical expertise required to produce world-class games.
“We often say India has enough talent, but that’s not entirely accurate. 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,” noted Chavan, referencing the support UnderDOGS received from Sony’s expertise in helping address this gap.
Government backing remains crucial to the growth of India’s AAA gaming industry, according to Landers of AIGDF.
He asserted, “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.”
In addition to the efforts of game developers, organizations like WinZO are helping to elevate India’s gaming startups on a global platform.
WinZO, a social gaming leader, launched the ‘Bharat Tech Triumph’ initiative earlier this year, where ten winners showcased their products at the prestigious Game Developer Conference in San Francisco.
Paavan Nanda, co-founder of WinZO stated, “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.”
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