The 17th edition of the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) is being held in Chennai from the 5th to the 7th of this month. The Tamil Nadu government today signed several MoUs with various organisations dealing with gaming in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Udhayanidhi Stalin.

Delivering his address at the Conference, he said that a centre of excellence for gaming will be established in Chennai within a period of six months. He informed that regional hubs will be set up in Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy, Salem and Tirunelveli. He also said that the State will have a dedicated facilitation cell, which will serve as a single window for providing business support and also increase the ease of doing business in the State.

Noting that the State has a double-digit growth of 11.9 per cent GDP, the highest in India, the Deputy Chief Minister said that Tamil Nadu has 10,800 start-ups in the last three years. He said that being a home to the deep tech incubator and hub, the State is making history in AI and other state-of-the-art technological marvels.

The India Game Developer Conference began in Chennai as an exclusive gateway to global opportunities. The gaming competitions were held from the 9th to the 12th of October. The prize money ranged from 50,000 to one lakh rupees. This is part of the Game Developer Association of India’s (GDAI’s) commitment to establish India as a global hub for gaming innovation, investment and creative talent.

The IGDC is recognised as a crucial gathering for the gaming community, drawing creators, studios, investors and publishers from around the world. Last year, the edition saw more than 4000 attendees and over 200 speakers.

This year’s Conference has more than 150 sessions with prominent figures from the global gaming industry. The Conference will include key initiatives such as the Indie Initiative, India Game Awards, Investor – Investor-Publisher Connect and women in gaming.