Indian Digital Gaming Society

What Indian Digital Gaming Society does

Indian Digital Gaming Society (IDGS), rebranded in September 2025 as the Indian Digital Gaming & Esports Society (IDGES), is a not-for-profit apex industry association founded in 2018 under the aegis of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Headquartered in New Delhi, IDGS/IDGES serves the Indian digital gaming and esports ecosystem — game developers, publishers, esports organisations, platform and hardware vendors, educational institutions, and government bodies — by acting as an industry advocate, catalyst, and facilitator. Its core offering is a portfolio of services rather than a unified technology product: tiered membership programs (Starter, Gold, Platinum, Associate, Affiliate) priced from Rs 10,000 to Rs 2,00,000 in annual fees; flagship events including the India Gaming Show (annual 3-day exhibition) and the multi-city Gaming Conclave series; the GameForge SkillSync programme with Jio Institute; the Innovate2Educate Handheld Device Design Challenge under the WAVES summit; eight working groups producing policy recommendations; newsletters and industry reports; and organised member delegations to Tokyo Game Show, GamesCom, and GSTAR.

IDGS generates revenue through two streams: recurring membership subscription fees and transactional event participation fees (e.g., INR 1 lakh per company for international delegations). It does not develop proprietary technology products; its digital footprint consists of a membership portal, event registration, newsletter distribution, and a website hosting publications and policy resources. Go-to-market is event-driven and relationship-led: the organisation reaches members through high-profile convenings, working group meetings, roadshows, webinars, and direct outreach via CII's institutional network. Leadership is drawn from founding corporate members (Krafton India CEO Sean Hyunil Sohn as VP, JetSynthesys MD Rajan Navani as President, Skyesports founder Shiva Nandy as Treasurer), embedding industry representation into governance. IDGS does not disclose financials and is not venture-backed; its growth is paced by institutional and policy-driven cadence.

Name

Indian Digital Gaming Society

Legal name

Indian Digital Gaming Society

Website

https://gamingsociety.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IDGS, now IDGES, is the CII-backed not-for-profit apex body for India's gaming and esports industry, providing tiered membership, policy advocacy, flagship events, skills programmes, and international delegations to its 400+ member organisations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association / Gaming Industry Body

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAEAKAG

Game Aggregation, Content Distribution & RGS (Remote Game Servers)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Gambling, Betting & Casinos/Gaming Technology, Platforms & Data (iGaming Platforms, Odds, Risk, KYC)

Keywords

• Gaming industry association
• Esports ecosystem development
• Policy advocacy gaming
• Industry membership programs
• Skill development gaming

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: IDGS generates revenue through tiered membership fees based on company turnover. Primary memberships (Starter, Gold, Platinum) and Associate memberships with annual subscription fees ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 2,00,000 per year.
2. Event Participation Fees: Revenue generated from participation fees for international events such as Tokyo Game Show, where Indian companies pay INR 1 Lakh to participate as part of the India delegation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

IDGS is a non-profit apex industry body that provides industry advocacy, policy engagement, networking, and skill development services for India's digital gaming ecosystem. It operates tiered membership programs, organizes flagship exhibitions (India Gaming Show), multi-city conferences (Gaming Conclave), skill-sync university programs (GameForge), and design challenges (Innovate2Educate), and publishes industry newsletters and reports. The organization also leads Indian delegations to international gaming events and provides policy advocacy resources on the AVGC-XR sector.

Product overview

IDGS operates as a not-for-profit apex industry body for India's digital gaming ecosystem, formed under the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2018. Its offering is a portfolio of membership programs, industry events, skills-development programs, publications, and policy advocacy services rather than a unified software product. The core offering includes tiered membership programs (Primary/Associate/Affiliate) providing networking, policy engagement, and business development access. Major programs include the Gaming Conclave (multi-city industry conference series), India Gaming Show (flagship annual exhibition), GameForge and GameForge Skillsync (industry-academia skill-sync programs with Jio Institute), Innovate2Educate challenge (educational device competition under WAVES), newsletters, industry reports, and international event participation at GamesCom, Tokyo Game Show, and GSTAR. IDGS was rebranded to IDGES (Indian Digital Gaming & Esports Society) in September 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IDGS Membership Programs Tiered membership program offering Primary (Starter, Gold, Platinum based on company turnover), Associate, and Affiliate tiers with networking, policy advocacy, and business development benefits. Targeted at gaming companies, esports organizations, and ecosystem stakeholders.
• India Gaming Show (IGS) Flagship 3-day annual exhibition featuring gaming and esports exhibitions, product launches, esports competitions, cosplay, and awards; next edition scheduled February 2025 in New Delhi. Targeted at gaming companies, developers, publishers, and consumers.
• Gaming Conclave Multi-city conference series bringing together gaming industry leaders, startups, investors, and government officials for networking and knowledge sharing, culminating at the India Gaming Show. Targeted at gaming industry professionals, investors, and policy makers.
• GameForge - A SkillSync Program Esports and video gaming conclave organized by IDGS in collaboration with Jio Institute, combining industry conferences with esports activities and expert lectures. Targets students, game developers, esports enthusiasts, creators, startups, and academia.
• Innovate2Educate Handheld Device Design Challenge Competition under WAVES outreach, inviting participants to design educational handheld devices for children focused on math, puzzles, and cognitive skills without LED/LCD screens, costing under 1000 INR. Targeted at designers, innovators, and startups.
• IDGS Newsletters Regular newsletter publication providing industry news, updates, and insights to members, with volumes dating back to February 2023. Targeted at IDGS members and gaming industry stakeholders.
• Industry Reports and Research Annual reports, stakeholder consultation reports, media coverage reports, and industry research publications covering India's gaming ecosystem. Targeted at gaming industry stakeholders, policymakers, and members.
• International Event Participation Organized participation in global gaming events including GamesCom (Germany), Tokyo Game Show (Japan), and GSTAR (South Korea) with India Pavilion exhibitions. Targeted at Indian gaming companies seeking international exposure.
• AVGC-XR Policy Resources Policy documentation and reports on the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics / Extended Reality) sector, including state-level policies for Telangana and Rajasthan. Targeted at policymakers, gaming companies, and industry stakeholders.
• IDGS Industry Awards Annual awards recognizing excellence across esports, game development, streaming, and gaming education categories. Targeted at gaming companies, esports organizations, educational institutions, and individuals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 420 million gamers represented in India
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jio InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for GameForge: An E-Sports & Video Gaming Conclave. Jio Institute, a multidisciplinary institution focused on innovation, technology, research, and entrepreneurship, co-organizes the event with IDGS to bring together academia and industry for esports and online gaming dialogue.
• Ministry of Information and BroadcastingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership under WAVES (World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit) outreach program. IDGS collaborates with MIB to organize events including Innovate2Educate Handheld Device Design Challenge and GameForge programs to encourage innovation in India's digital gaming sector.
• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDGS is formed under the aegis of CII, India's premier industry association with around 9,700 members from private and public sectors. CII provides institutional support, policy advocacy platform, and network access to IDGS.
• Startup IndiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported by Startup India initiative, indicating alignment with government startup ecosystem programs
• Hack2SkillminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInnovation partner for Innovate2Educate Handheld Device Design Challenge, providing technical and platform support for the competition
• ICTAcademyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEducation technology partner contributing to skill development initiatives under the Innovate2Educate challenge
• JetSynthesyscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of IDGS, represented by Rajan Navani as President of IDGS. JetSynthesys is a digital media, entertainment and gaming company building businesses in short format video, OTT, gaming, esports, and emerging technologies.
• Krafton IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Sean Hyunil Sohn serves as Vice President of IDGS. Krafton is the developer of BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) and has invested significantly in the Indian gaming ecosystem.
• Nodwin GamingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Gautam Virk as COO, Nodwin Gaming is a leading esports tournament organizer. Nodwin represents IDGS in esports working groups and international events.
• SkyesportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Shiva Nandy as Treasurer of IDGS. Skyesports is a leading Indian esports organization known for original IPs like Skyesports Masters and international partnerships.
• NVIDIAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of IDGS, represented by Vishal Dhupar. NVIDIA provides technology expertise for gaming and esports infrastructure development in India.
• SonycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of IDGS, represented by Prosenjit Ghosh. Sony provides gaming platform perspective and industry expertise.
• Google PlaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of IDGS. Google Play provides mobile gaming ecosystem perspective and developer platform support.
• Nautilus MobilecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of IDGS. Anuj Mankar serves as Chair of Membership Working Group. Nautilus Mobile is a game development studio.
• Government of KarnatakacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIDGS collaborates with Government of Karnataka for esports initiatives and hosted the first Indian Gaming Conclave (IGC) in Bangalore. The state government has been active in esports policy development.
• Government of TelanganaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTelangana has released a Gaming Animation Policy in 2016, and IDGS provides policy advocacy resources related to this on its AVGC Policy page.
• Government of RajasthanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRajasthan released AVGC-XR Policy 2024, with IDGS providing resources and advocacy support for the state's gaming and animation sector development.
• Reliance JiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerShiv Shukla from Reliance Jio serves on the IDGS Executive Council. Jio Institute collaboration further strengthens this partnership for gaming skill development.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TIGA (The Independent Game Developers' Association): UK-based non-profit trade association representing the video game industry. Highly comparable to IDGES in advocacy, policy engagement, and membership-based industry body model, though focused on the UK games ecosystem.
• All India Gaming Federation (AIGF): India-based industry body for the online gaming sector, particularly real-money and fantasy gaming. Directly comparable to IDGES as a competing Indian gaming industry association, with overlap but distinct sub-sector focus.
• International Game Developers Association (IGDA): Global non-profit industry association serving game developers. Directly comparable to IDGES in mission (advocacy, education, networking for game developers) and non-profit structure, though operating at a worldwide rather than single-country remit.

Broad incumbents

• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII): Parent organization under whose aegis IDGES operates. CII is a far larger industry chamber spanning all sectors; comparable in policy advocacy and convening role but vastly broader in scope and member base (~9,700 members).
• NASSCOM: India's premier technology industry trade body. Comparable as an India-based industry association with policy advocacy and international promotion functions, though broader than gaming and serving as a parallel apex body rather than direct competitor.
• FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry): Larger Indian industry chamber and apex body. Comparable in its role as an India-wide industry body with policy and international engagement mandates, though operating as a competitor chamber to CII rather than a peer of IDGES directly.

Regional players

• Korea Game Industry Association (K-GAMES): Korean game industry trade association with policy advocacy and international promotion mandates. Comparable to IDGES in driving exports and representing national industry interests, but operating in a far more mature gaming market.
• European Games Developer Federation (EGDF): Federation of national game developer trade associations across Europe. Comparable to IDGES as a higher-level industry-body convening national member associations for policy advocacy and ecosystem development at a regional scale.
• Singapore Games Association (SGGA): Singapore-based industry association for game developers and publishers. Comparable as an Asia-Pacific national game industry body with advocacy and ecosystem-building mandates, though serving the Singapore market specifically.

Emerging players

• Indie Game Developer Alliance: Smaller US-based non-profit representing indie developers with advocacy focus. Comparable in non-profit structure and developer advocacy mission, though narrower in scope to indie developers rather than the full gaming industry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IDGS2018?t=FYS09RH5kei0AD9QMJPyKQ&s=09
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IndianDigitalGamingSociety
• Facebookfacebook.com/gamingsociety.in
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gamingsociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Indian Digital Gaming Society