Create in India Challenge: WinZO and IEIC lay the foundation for the export of Indian Gaming IP

#WinZOIEICIndianGamingIP

Chandigarh: The brightest creative and tech visionaries have converged in Mumbai, India’s creative heartbeat, for the landmark launch of the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES). Marking a new chapter in India’s global entertainment narrative, WinZO, India’s leading interactive entertainment platform, alongside the Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC), proudly revealed 20 groundbreaking winners of the Bharat Tech Triumph Program (BTTP)—the cornerstone of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s ambitious ‘Create in India’ initiative. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting launched 4 challenges under the ‘Create in India’ Gaming umbrella to showcase India’s potential to produce content for the world. Shining under this clarion call is the Bharat Tech Triumph Edition (BTTP) Edition 3, by Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC). The 20 winners will be showcasing at Waves starting 1st May 2025.

The success of BTTP lies at the intersection of two powerful trends. Firstly, the global and Indian entertainment industries have decisively shifted towards gaming. The global gaming market, valued at USD 300 billion, already surpasses the combined movie and music industries, while India’s USD 3.7 billion gaming sector has become the leading contributor to new-age media, overtaking sectors like movies, music, and cricket. Secondly, Indian gaming companies, exemplified by WinZO, have strategically pivoted from 2023 onwards towards creating and exporting Indian gaming intellectual property (IP) globally.

Chosen from over 2,000 entries, these winners have been guided and mentored by industry luminaries such as Dr. Mukesh Aghi, President – US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, Prashant Prakash, Partner – Accel Partners, Archana Jahagirdar, Managing Partner -Rukam Capital, and Rajesh Raju, Managing Partner – Kalaari Capital. Their innovative creations have dazzled international audiences at elite platforms including Game Developer Conference (GDC) 2024, Gamescom LATAM, Gamescom Germany, and this year’s GDC in San Francisco. These visionary developers will also showcase their latest games at WAVES.

BTTP is looking to pick India’s best game developers, provide global exposure and mentoring from the industry, fundraising opportunities, networking among global peers, and fine-tune their products to make them globally consumable. These interventions are aimed at making Indian gaming IP export-ready. India stands uniquely positioned with both significant domestic demand and immense untapped export potential, an advantage illustrated by smaller countries like Finland, Turkey, Israel which, despite its small population, has emerged as a global gaming leader with 90% of export-driven revenue.

Among the 20 winners, highlighting India’s rich cultural heritage, Brahman Studios unveiled “AUM-The Game,” an immersive philosophical adventure and a unique Karma system. Hyderabad’s 5th Ocean Studios captivated audiences with “Ilavath: Battle Arenas,” an innovative strategy game deeply rooted in the eternal war between Devas and Asuras. Speaking on the opportunity, Sowmitri Maluchuru from Brahman Studios stated, “Being selected for GDC, Startup Mahakumbh, and WAVES is a lifetime opportunity for an independent developer like me to share my story and vision on a global platform, connecting with audiences, investors, and mentors worldwide.”