'Indian youth should lead gaming sector, by producing games': PM Modi

India, with 442 million gamers, is the world's second-largest gaming market after China, with a combined valuation of around $3.1 billion. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the growing influence of the Indian gaming industry in his Independence Day address.

“I am seeing a big market that has come up in the field of gaming, but even today, the gaming world has a big foreign impact in terms of producing the games and earning revenues. India has a big heritage in the area and we can bring lots of new talent to the world of gaming,” the PM said.

“I want Indian youth, IT professionals, AI experts to lead the gaming world—not just by playing, but by creating gaming products,” PM Modi added.

Modi expressed his desire for Indian youth to lead the gaming industry, building a gaming career by playing and producing games and for Indian games to reach a global audience.

Gaming Industry's Reaction:

Several gaming analysts and companies agree with what the PM has said.

After years of working for US-based studios and other global majors, the Indian gaming studios are finally taking steps to create India’s own AAA games/titles --- a classification that signifies high-budget, high-profile games like Minecraft, GTA 5, Call of Duty, and Fortnite, among others.

 “The market has been largely dominated by foreign titles due to a lack of homegrown games. The Indian government's recent push for local game development is a crucial step in bridging this gap,” said Shiva Nandy, founder and CEO of e-sports, Skyesports. 

Indian gaming company, Mayhem Studios, expressed gratitude towards PM Modi for supporting the gaming sector in India.

"We are deeply inspired by PM Modi's visionary leadership, which motivates us to pursue excellence and accelerate India's ascent in the global gaming landscape by making games everyone would love to play," Mayhem Studios wrote on X.