Meet GDAI, India's first video games trade body
The creation of the India Game Developers Conference in 2008 has been key not only to enabling collaboration and organisation within the Indian games industry, but also highlighting the work of India's developers to the world.
That collaboration took a significant step forward last month with the formation of the Game Developer Association of India – the nation's first games-specific trade body. The new organisation is led by a governing council of over 30 experienced industry leaders and a formal board of fellow veterans. Sridhar Muppidi, co-founder of mobile developer Yesgnome, serves as its first president.
"As gaming in India has expanded, the need for a unified dialogue with policymakers became clear," Muppidi tells GamesIndustry.biz. "GDAI was formed to address this, working closely with the government to tackle talent shortages and create an environment where Indian IPs can achieve global success."
Muppidi is supported by six full-time staff who handle GDAI's operations and explore new initiatives. The trade body already has 200 members signed up, including all of the top games studios in India – and there's a waiting list of over 1,000 individuals and companies who hope to join.
"As gaming in India has expanded, the need for a unified dialogue with policymakers became clear"
The GDAI president points to this demand as proof that such a body is needed in this market.
"There are already several associations in related fields like esports, fantasy gaming, and real-money skill gaming, but most are funded by one or two large entities," he explains. "Conventional game developers don’t have a strong voice or a seat at the table with government officials. We felt it was essential to have representation in policy discussions at both state and central levels.
"Additionally, unlike other associations, GDAI focuses heavily on talent development. By working with educational institutions to include game development electives and advocating for policies to attract international
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