The Game Developer Association of India GDAI (https://gdai.in/)), the country’s apex industry body for the gaming ecosystem, has announced the launch of Supernova, a new national incubation program. The initiative is designed to assist Indian gaming studios in scaling their operations from game development through to publishing.
Supernova aims to bridge critical gaps for independent Indian game developers, particularly concerning access to structured mentorship, venture funding, publishers, and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into production pipelines. The program has been developed in collaboration with several global industry partners, including Tencent, PhonePe’s Indus Appstore, and Sanchi Connect, positioning it as a significant effort to foster ecosystem growth.
In its inaugural year, Supernova plans to support 40 high-potential studios selected from across the nation. Applications for the program opened today.
GDAI Program Structure and Support
The incubation program is tailored for studios at various stages of development, encompassing student teams with early prototypes as well as companies nearing publisher and investor readiness. Participants will receive stage-specific mentorship from experienced game industry leaders, alongside support for publisher and investor preparedness. A key component of the curriculum focuses on AI-driven game development workflows and technical guidance.
Additional support includes business, legal, and intellectual property (IP) advisory services, access to cloud infrastructure, startup tools, technology benefits, and direct connections to publishers, platform holders, and ecosystem partners.
Market Context and Vision
The launch of Supernova comes amid a period of growth for India’s gaming sector. According to Mintegral’s India Gaming Growth Outlook 2026, India possesses one of the world’s largest gaming audiences. The report highlights the need for sustainable scaling of studios through improved publishing, growth strategies, monetization, and access to global markets. MIXI Global Investments’ India’s State of Play report projects India’s gaming market to reach $2.4 billion in combined in-app and advertising revenue by 2029.
The program is intended to support India’s expanding developer ecosystem, which currently comprises over 2,000 companies employing 130,000 professionals. GDAI’s broader vision is to contribute to the creation of over 2 million jobs in the gaming sector by 2034.
Rajan Navani, Board Member and Chairperson of the GDAI Incubation Subcommittee, stated, “India possesses the foundational elements—creative talent, entrepreneurial drive, and a rapidly expanding domestic market—to become a global leader in game development. The next phase of growth hinges on our ability to enable founders to build sustainable studios capable of developing globally successful IP. Supernova represents a step towards establishing that long-term ecosystem.”
Shruti Verma, CEO of GDAI, highlighted common challenges faced by developers. “Our discussions with founders across India have revealed consistent hurdles. Many studios find it difficult to transition from creating games to building sustainable businesses, secure publisher access, raise growth capital, adopt AI-driven production workflows, and navigate the path from prototype to commercial success,” Verma explained. “Through Supernova, we are consolidating mentorship, publishing access, AI expertise, and industry networks to help founders build investment-ready, globally competitive game studios.”
The incubation program will culminate in a Demo Day at the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) 2026. This event will provide participating studios with a platform to showcase their games to publishers, investors, and industry leaders from India and internationally. For more updates on this and other gaming industry developments (https://technosports.co.in/), visit TechnoSports.
The first cohort for Supernova is expected to be announced by August 2026. The deadline for applications is July 31, 2026.
