GDAI launches India’s first Policy Secretariat for video games industry

The Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) has launched its Policy Secretariat in Delhi NCR to promote and grow India’s video games industry. This initiative aims to establish engagement between the industry and government bodies.

Acting as a unified voice, the Secretariat will collaborate with central and state governments to shape innovation-friendly policies, safeguard member interests, and support sustainable growth across India’s rapidly evolving gaming ecosystem. This move comes at a time when the Online Gaming Bill “Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act 2025, passed in the Parliament. 

Speaking on the occasion, GDAI chairperson Sridhar Muppidi commented, “We welcome the government’s progressive step in establishing a national-level regulatory authority and recognising online social games as a distinct category under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. The GDAI Policy Secretariat will work closely with the government to shape globally aligned, innovation-friendly regulations that empower startups, promote exports, and position India as a global hub for culturally rich and responsible video game development.”

Sridhar added, “We also extend our sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, for its continued guidance and support to GDAI in advancing the growth of India’s gaming ecosystem.”

The Secretariat will act as a bridge between policymakers, regulators, and the video games industry, ensuring that India’s gaming landscape, spanning large gaming companies, indie developers, studios developing both product and offering services, and mobile-first creators, receives an enabling regulatory environment.

GDAI has appointed Hemant Coomar as the government affairs and public policy director to head its newly established Policy Secretariat. Coomkar has worked with leading industry bodies and corporations. On the technology side, he has worked on the introduction and rollout of the Aadhaar-based eKYC customer acquisition process. 

Sharing his views Coomar said, “The establishment of the GDAI Policy Secretariat marks a significant step toward shaping a progressive and globally competitive gaming ecosystem in India. Our goal is to ensure clear recognition of online social games as distinct from online money games and esports, while advocating for proportionate, globally aligned regulation that encourages innovation rather than restricts it. ”

Through the Secretariat, GDAI will also work to ensure clarity in definitions around stakes and virtual items to prevent misclassification of legitimate video games, advocate for due process safeguards in enforcement actions, and support responsible and creative growth aligned with international best practices.