The 15th Annual India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) Wraps Up with a Bang

The 15th annual edition of the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) came to a spectacular close today, having packed a punch over the last three days. The event, held at HICC Hyderabad, brought together over 4,000 attendees, including game developers, publishers, investors, and gaming enthusiasts who eagerly soaked up the riveting action on offer. The IGDC Expo, featuring the offerings of over 100 gaming companies, buzzed with gaming enthusiasts.

With a lineup of over 200 gaming expert speakers from 20 countries, the three-day conference featured about 125 hyperactive sessions, including panel discussions, talks, and workshops covering various aspects of gaming technology, design, and production. The event also highlighted various round tables that facilitated discussions between industry experts, government representatives, academia, and policymakers, organized by industry bodies such as Invest India, Start-up India, AIGDF, Primus Partners, and MESC.

Special sessions by conference partners, including Unreal Developer Day, Xbox Discovery Day, Unity Dev, and Google Dev, ran concurrently, providing a wide array of insights and experiences for attendees.

The IGDC 2023 kicked off with the launch of the 'Lumikai State of India Gaming Report FY23,' a collaborative effort with Google. This report revealed that the Indian gaming market is on track to hit the $7.5 billion valuation mark by FY28, underlining the rapid growth and immense potential of the Indian gaming industry.

Day 2 of the conference was marked by the highly anticipated IGDC Awards 2023. 'Sojourn Past,' a game developed by the Nagaland-based gaming startup ReDimension Games, claimed the "Upcoming Game of the Year Award," while the "Most Popular Game Award" went to 'Indus' by SuperGaming. The IGDC Awards received a record-breaking 150+ game entries, showcasing the incredible talent and creativity in the Indian gaming community.

Sridhar Muppidi, Director of IGDC, expressed his pride in the conference's evolution, stating, "IGDC today has become one of the top five Game Developer Conferences in the world. Considered South Asia’s biggest developer conference, we have been consistently attracting large-scale international participants who are keen on understanding the Indian gaming market and partnering with Indian developers."

Muppidi also emphasized the immense interest from investors, saying, "We had over 70+ investors keen on investing in the Gaming sector, and IGDC provided them the perfect platform for exploring these opportunities. These investors announced a lot of gaming incubators and funding initiatives during IGDC. Overall, it has been a great event, and we look forward to hosting a bigger conference next year."

The IGDC Investor-Publisher Connect, IGDC’s flagship networking initiative, saw the highest-ever number of entries. Over 130 applicants participated, resulting in 1800+ curated meetings between gaming studios and startups with investors and publishers, conducted in one-to-one and speed dating formats.

Another highlight of the conference was the Build Your Own Game (BYOG) initiative, which witnessed a record number of 700+ participants, collectively submitting 170+ game entries for evaluation by judges.

Day 3 of the conference focused on the emerging Esports sector, with engaging panel discussions and talks that shed light on the industry's future.

Rajesh Rao, Chairman of IGDC, celebrated the rapid growth of the gaming industry, particularly in the Indian market, saying, "The Lumikai State of India Gaming Report released at IGDC 2023 interestingly points out that a fascinating dimension to this gaming boom is the substantial participation of women, constituting an impressive 41% of the total gaming community. What’s even more captivating is that 66% of gamers hail from non-metro regions, underscoring the democratization of gaming experiences across the country."

IGDC 2023 featured nine parallel sessions, solo talks, workshops, and round tables that delved into various aspects of the gaming industry, including AI, Web3, Art and Design, Technology, Production, Business & Product Management, Applied games, emerging trends, and career opportunities.o9,ṁub jni

The 15th IGDC exemplifies the remarkable growth and potential of the Indian gaming industry, making it a must-attend event for game developers, publishers, investors, and gaming enthusiasts alike. With its strong commitment to fostering community engagement and delivering exceptional gaming experiences, IGDC is on the forefront of India's gaming landscape.