Chinese tech leader Tencent has formed strategic alliances with the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) and the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) to expand its presence in India’s gaming sector.
Two-Pronged Strategy for Indian Market
Tencent aims to deliver premium global gaming experiences to Indian users while fostering local developer talent and infrastructure. Yong-yi Zhu, vice president of business operations, strategy, and compliance at Tencent Games Global, highlighted this approach during a briefing in New Delhi.
The company recently launched Honor of Kings in India, drawing from its successful global portfolio, with additional titles planned. As a major player in gaming, Tencent holds investments in U.S. firms Epic Games and Supercell.
“India stands as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing gaming markets, distinguished by its vast user base, skilled developers, and creative potential,” stated Danny Marti, head of global public affairs and policy at Tencent.
Collaboration with SEPC for Global Reach
Abhay Sinha, director general of SEPC, noted that the partnership merges the council’s export promotion efforts with Tencent’s worldwide distribution network, enabling Indian studios to expand globally.
Three-Year MoU with GDAI
Tencent also entered a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) with GDAI, which supports India’s game development community across 15 state chapters. This initiative targets grassroots development of the gaming pipeline through four main areas:
- A National Game Jam engaging over 10,000 students each year.
- A Train-the-Trainer program to develop 20 trainers aligned with industry needs.
- An incubation program for at least 10 studios.
- Active involvement in the India Game Developer Conference.
Growing Demand in AVGC Sector
These efforts align with projections that India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics (AVGC) industry will need 2 million skilled workers by 2030. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced backing for the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT) to establish a national lab network, enhancing the AVGC ecosystem and driving employment growth.
