Sanjeev, joint secretary, DPIIT; Saumya Singh Rathore, co-founder of WinZO; and Sumeet Kumar Jarangal, director (Startup India), DPIIT.
New Delhi, 26th November
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has entered into a two-year partnership with the social gaming platform WinZO, aimed at boosting India’s position in the global gaming market, a senior commerce ministry official announced on Tuesday.
The collaboration focuses on nurturing over 2,000 startups, innovators, and students in the interactive entertainment space. This will be achieved through mentorship, workshops, accelerator programs, and hackathons, all designed to capture a larger share of the $300 billion global gaming industry.
At the core of this partnership is the establishment of a Center of Excellence (CoE), which will serve as a hub for creating a skilled, industry-ready workforce and fostering innovation within India’s online gaming sector. According to a report by the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, India’s interactive entertainment market is projected to reach $60 billion by 2034, generating more than 2 million jobs.
The partnership comes at a time when India’s gaming market is expanding rapidly. A report by the gaming-focused venture capital firm Lumikai revealed that India’s gaming market grew 23% year-on-year, reaching $3.8 billion in revenue in 2023-24, despite the challenges posed by a newly imposed 28% blanket Goods and Services Tax (GST) on online gaming.
“This partnership marks a crucial milestone in making India a global leader in interactive technology. It reflects our commitment to empowering startups, fostering innovation, and creating products that meet global standards in the gaming industry,” said Sanjeev, joint secretary of DPIIT.
“We are not just developing startups; we are building a pipeline of talent and innovation that will position India as a key player in the global gaming industry,” added Sumeet Kumar Jarangal, Director of Startup India at DPIIT.
Saumya Singh Rathore, co-founder of WinZO, emphasized the importance of the CoE in addressing the talent gap and helping monetize Indian gaming assets. “This collaboration is a significant step towards building a world-class ecosystem that will position Indian products and intellectual property on the global stage. The CoE will contribute to the creation of ‘Made in India’ intellectual property for export, while also attracting foreign direct investment (FDI),” she said.
