Key Points

The summit brought together creators, industry leaders, start-ups, and policymakers to explore the transformative potential of Indian-made digital entertainment, with a sharp focus on gaming innovation.

One of the standout features of the summit was the "Create in India Challenge", launched by the Government of India to encourage young game developers to design original, culturally rooted games.

The initiative has galvanised a new generation of Indian developers, many of whom come from prestigious engineering backgrounds such as the IITs.

Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and the All India Game Developers Forum, emphasised the sector's growing innovation. "I think 'Create in India' is about ideation and innovation. What we are seeing in the online skill gaming industry is a lot of both. Many founders are young engineers who have come up with truly innovative products," Landers said.

The summit also spotlighted success stories like Zupee, a leading Indian skill-based gaming platform that has redefined casual gaming with games like Online Skill-Based Ludo.

The company's focus on culturally resonant content has helped it build a broad national user base.

Ravi Shankar Jha, Director of Public Policy at Zupee, underscored this vision. "Our mission has always been to bring culturally relevant games to the Indian mass audience. India has always been a land of games and stories, and we believe that with the right support, domestic developers can take Indian games to a global audience," he said.

At the heart of Waves 2025 is the growing role of data in content creation, especially in gaming. From immersive graphics to AI-powered personalization, data is now a key driver of user experience.

Gokul V Subramaniam, President of Intel India, highlighted the company's contribution to this ecosystem.

"Waves is an amazing opportunity because a lot of content creation involves audio and video, which is at the core of everything we do with data. Data is huge, and at Intel, we focus on several aspects of processors. Waves is bringing together the diverse range of data needed to make this possible," he said.

The summit also underscored India's potential as a global gaming hub, with an emphasis on exporting Indian innovation to international markets.

Ankit Kashyap, Chief Investment and Corporate Development Officer at M-LEAGUE, spoke on the company's global ambitions.

"Our thesis remains that we will create in India but build for the world. The idea is to leverage the talent and resources here to develop games that can be played globally. Games have the power to connect people, whether in Brazil, India, or the US," he noted, adding that stronger government support would help realize this vision.

As India's gaming industry gears up for exponential growth, platforms like Waves Summit are proving vital in fostering innovation, building partnerships, and showcasing India's creative talent to the world.

- ANI