KRAFTON India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to establish the KIGI Academy. This six-month, fully funded program aims to train future game developers, designers, and creators in India.

The inaugural cohort will comprise 30 students from IIT Madras. The curriculum will provide hands-on training in core areas including coding, game design, UI/UX, art, and product development. Following an initial four-month on-site learning phase at the IIT Madras campus, participants will complete a two-month residency at KRAFTON India’s (https://www.krafton.com/) headquarters in Bengaluru

The program’s design draws from KRAFTON’s established game development training model in Korea, known as ‘KRAFTON Jungle’. Industry experts will lead the instruction, mentoring students through the various stages of game creation. The academy targets third- and fourth-year Bachelor’s and Dual Degree students, as well as postgraduate and Master’s students from any engineering discipline at IIT Madras, with no prior game development experience required.

KRAFTON Program Structure and Objectives

The 16-week on-site phase will focus on strengthening game development skills using the Unity engine, with an emphasis on mobile gaming and collaborative project work. The subsequent 8-week residency will expose participants to real-world game production processes, culminating in the development and showcase of a vertical-slice game. Exceptional performers may be offered full-time roles at KRAFTON India.

Anuj Sahni, Head of KRAFTON Incubator Program & Director Publishing, KRAFTON India, stated that the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between academic learning and the practical realities of game development. He highlighted the program’s objective to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of game creation, from ideation to publishing, under expert guidance.

Saurabh Shah, Head of People Operations, KRAFTON India, emphasized the program’s role in creating career pathways within the gaming industry by connecting students with industry-led training and potential job opportunities.

Prof. Prathap Haridoss, Dean, Academic Courses, IIT Madras, affirmed the institute’s commitment to industry-academia collaboration for innovation. He expressed optimism that the partnership would cultivate talent capable of contributing to India’s game development ecosystem.

Strategic Collaboration

IIT Madras, which has held the No. 1 ranking in India for engineering institutions for ten consecutive years under the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), was selected as the founding partner. This follows a multi-year engagement between KRAFTON India and the institute, which has included participation in technical festivals and game jams, leading to previous hiring of IIT Madras students.

This initiative underscores the growing focus on domestic talent development within India’s burgeoning tech and gaming sector, a trend often covered in latest industry developments (https://technosports.co.in/). The KIGI Academy aims to adapt KRAFTON’s global development standards and hands-on training philosophy to India’s mobile-first gaming market.