Empowering Indian Youth Through AAA Game Development and Unreal Engine Training
Empowering Indian Youth Through AAA Game Development and Unreal Engine Training
The Issue
Petition to Promote Unreal Engine, Cinematic Game Development, and Indian IP-Based Games in India
To, The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, The Ministry of Education, The Ministry of Culture, Government of India
Subject: Urgent Need to Support Unreal Engine Training, Cinematic Game Development, and Indian-Culture-Based Game IPs to Boost India’s Gaming Industry and Cultural Legacy
Respected Authorities,
India is a nation rich in culture, history, traditions, music, dance, folklore, and mythology — yet we have not fully leveraged this incredible heritage in modern storytelling formats like games or high-quality animated films. While we produce countless short-format mobile games, we fall severely short in producing AAA-level cinematic games that rival international productions.
India possesses a wealth of traditional narratives, classical art forms, regional dances, diverse musical styles, and a tapestry of folk tales and mythologies that have been passed down through generations. However, despite this treasure trove of stories and aesthetics, our cultural representation remains underutilized in both mainstream films and the gaming industry. While international creators successfully adapt and globalize their culture through visually rich, emotionally immersive AAA games, India has yet to harness its own cultural goldmine in a similar manner. Indian developers often lack the resources, technical skills, and institutional support to transform these stories into interactive digital experiences. The result is that Indian youth grow up playing foreign titles while our own heroes, history, and identity remain absent from global digital storytelling.
1. This gap is not due to a lack of talent, creativity, or passion, but due to deep-rooted barriers that block Indian creators from realizing their full potential. These include:
2. High Cost of Entry-Level Game Development PCs
o Unreal Engine, which powers the world’s top AAA games (e.g., Fortnite, BGMI, Hellblade), requires a PC with high-performance CPU, GPU, and RAM.
o A minimum PC for Unreal Engine with full features (ray tracing, cinematic rendering, simulation, and fast compile times) costs Rs. 65,000–80,000 or more.
o Most aspiring developers from tier 2–3 cities cannot afford this setup, limiting their ability to access high-end game development tools.
3. Lack of Accessible, High-Quality Unreal Engine Courses in India
o Unreal requires deep knowledge of C++, Blueprints, shaders, performance optimization, and animation blending.
o Bootcamps that teach these skills charge high fees (Rs. 50,000–1,00,000), which is unaffordable for many students.
o Online resources often do not cover India-specific issues like optimization for budget devices, local team structures, or indie-friendly workflows.
4. Lack of Skill in Unreal is Holding Back AAA Development
o Indian devs often rely on Unity due to familiarity and mobile focus.
o Unreal’s advanced features like control rigs, motion warping, animation blueprints, meta-sounds, and sequencer cinematics are barely taught or practiced in India.
o As a result, most Indian games lack polish, cinematic storytelling, and world-class visuals.
5. Gaming Still Faces a Cultural Stigma in India
o Parents often discourage gaming careers, associating them with addiction or joblessness.
o There is minimal awareness of gaming as a serious global industry that requires coding, art, writing, and project management.
o Schools and colleges rarely include game development in formal education.
6. Betting Apps Being Labelled as Games
o Apps like Dream11 and other gambling-based platforms are marketed as "games", confusing the public.
o This misrepresentation taints the image of game development, making it seem like gambling rather than a creative, technical profession.
7. Indian Games Lack Original IP and Cultural Roots
o Most Indian studios create clones of trending games to survive financially.
o There is little innovation or cultural storytelling, despite India’s rich heritage.
o Games based on Shivaji Maharaj, Ashoka, Vedas, or regional folklore are missing from mainstream platforms.
8. Lack of Publishers and Investors for Original Indian Games
o Publishers prefer funding hypercasual or fantasy sports apps with quick ROI.
o Cinematic or story-driven Indian games are considered “risky,” leading to underfunding or early project abandonment.
o No national fund or government-backed scheme supports high-quality IP development.
9. Brain Drain and Talent Loss
o Talented developers migrate abroad due to lack of opportunities and mentorship in India.
o Studios in Canada, USA, and Europe hire Indian talent to build games based on their culture — while India loses the chance to build games about itself.
10. Low Pay and Overwork in Indian Studios
o Junior devs often work for long hours with minimal pay, leading to burnout.
o This results in high attrition and low creative satisfaction.
o Projects focus on speed over quality, crushing innovation.
11. No Central Hub for Game Dev Resources
· Developers in India struggle to find consolidated resources — from job boards to tutorials.
· Mentorship, collaboration, and funding opportunities are scattered or unavailable.
· There is no government-supported portal or network specifically for game developers.
Key Challenges in Indian Game Development
Why India Must Be at the Forefront of Game Development
🇮🇳 Why India Must Lead in Game Development
📈 Economic, Cultural, and Global Growth Reasons
🏦 1. Game Development is a Multi-Billion Dollar Global Industry - The global gaming market is projected to cross $500+ billion by 2030. - Game development creates jobs in programming, art, design, writing, music, marketing, and even AI. - India has the second-largest youth population in the world, most of whom are gamers or creators — but we’re not producing AAA titles. - Instead of being just consumers of global games, India can become a producer and exporter of world-class games.
🔎 Fact: China’s game industry earned over $45 billion in 2023, heavily contributing to GDP and employment.
✅ Opportunity for India: - Tap into exports of Indian-made games. - Generate foreign revenue through globally released Indian titles.
🧑💼 2. Massive Job Creation Across Tech and Creative Fields - A thriving game development industry doesn’t just benefit game devs. It boosts: - Software engineers (C++, AI, game systems) - 3D artists and animators (Unreal, Blender, Maya) - Writers (interactive storytelling, lore design) - Voice actors, musicians, sound designers - Producers and QA testers
🎯 Estimate: A single large game studio employs 100–500 people. A vibrant industry can employ lakhs of Indians across cities.
🧠 3. Boosts Innovation in Emerging Tech (AI, AR/VR, Metaverse) - Game engines like Unreal and Unity are used not just for games but for: - AI simulation & robotics training - Virtual production in Bollywood (e.g., LED volume shooting like Mandalorian) - Architectural walkthroughs - Medical simulations - Defence and drone training
✅ Investing in game development automatically boosts India’s innovation in these future-critical industries.
📱 4. India is the World’s Largest Mobile Gaming Market — But We’re Importing All the Content - India has 600+ million gamers, mostly on mobile. - But 90% of top-grossing games are made outside India (PUBG/BGMI, Free Fire, COD, Genshin, etc.) - Indian money is going to foreign developers, while Indian stories are not being told.
🎯 If even 10% of Indian gamers bought an Indian-made AAA title, it could become a global success overnight.
🪔 5. Opportunity to Share Indian Culture & Stories with the World - India has thousands of years of mythology, epics, unsung heroes, and regional stories. - Titles like Raji: An Ancient Epic proved there’s a global demand for Indian lore in games. - Games like God of War made Norse and Greek myths globally iconic — why not Shivaji Maharaj, Hanuman, Ashoka, or Indian folklore?
✅ Games are the new medium of storytelling. They reach youth more powerfully than books or TV.
📊 6. Gaming Supports Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India Goals - Encouraging Indian IPs, Indian studios, and Unreal Engine mastery aligns with: - 🇮🇳 Digital India - 💼 Startup India - 📱 Make in India - Games are software + art — the exact blend India excels at.
💰 7. New Revenue Models for Indie Developers and Export - Games can be sold globally via: - Steam (PC) - Epic Store - PlayStation/Xbox - Mobile App Stores - A successful game can generate crores in royalties, merch, and licensing.
🎮 Example: Stardew Valley (made by 1 person) earned ₹800+ crore globally.
🤝 8. Cross-Industry Collaboration and Global Recognition - Gaming blends with film, music, tech, and storytelling. - Indian games can tie in with Bollywood, tourism (historical locations), education (interactive history), and VR.
✅ India can become Asia’s creative tech powerhouse, rivaling South Korea, Japan, and China.
✅ Final Thought:
Investing in game development isn’t just about “making games.”
It’s about: - 🧠 Building an innovative, tech-savvy nation - 🇮🇳 Promoting India’s culture and history - 💼 Creating millions of jobs - 💵 Generating billions in revenue
Let’s not miss this wave.
What We Request from the Government
1. Launch National Unreal Engine Bootcamps & Curriculum Access
✅ 1.1: Collaborate with Epic Games and Indian EdTechs
· Co-develop a national curriculum for Unreal Engine, tailored to Indian needs and device limitations.
· Partner with Epic Games, SWAYAM, NPTEL, and private EdTech platforms to make this content freely available.
✅ 1.2: Set Up Unreal Centers in IITs, NITs, and NIDs
· Establish Unreal Engine Centres of Excellence at institutions like IIT Bombay, NID Ahmedabad, NIT Trichy, etc.
· These centers can produce:
o Advanced Unreal tutorials (C++, Blueprints, Sequencer, Control Rig)
o Open projects & case studies for cultural game development
o Hands-on virtual production and cinematic training
✅ 1.3: Make Elite Content Accessible to All
· Make recorded lectures, project files, and live mentorship sessions from IITs/NITs available to Tier 2 and Tier 3 colleges.
· Deliver this through a central open portal, with regional language support.
✅ 1.4: Provide Subsidized Hardware Support
· Launch a government scheme to provide Unreal-ready PCs or laptops for meritorious or underprivileged students.
2. Recognize Game Development as a Formal Industry
✅ 2.1: Add Game Dev to NEP Vocational Tracks
· Include Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, and storytelling modules in skill-based education from high school onwards.
· Promote inter-disciplinary projects involving history, culture, and digital media.
✅ 2.2: Create an Indian Game Development Policy
· Frame an official government policy covering:
o Cultural IP funding
o Tax benefits
o Studio incubation support
o Ethical gaming and esports regulation
3. Stop Mislabeling of Betting as Gaming
✅ 3.1: Redefine “Game” in Law
· Clearly distinguish interactive digital experiences (games) from fantasy sports and betting apps.
· Establish a new category: “Fantasy Gambling” for such apps.
✅ 3.2: Launch Public Awareness Drives
· Use Doordarshan, MyGov, and influencers to educate people about careers in game dev.
· Bust myths around gaming addiction, promote creative and technical aspects.
4. Create a National Game Dev Portal: gov.games.in
✅ 4.1: One-Stop Digital Hub for Game Developers
· Include:
o Learning modules
o Public project showcases
o Job boards & freelance links
o Studio grants and mentorship databases
✅ 4.2: Regional Language Support
· Translate key tutorials and materials into Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and more.
5. Start “Cultural Game Development Grants”
✅ 5.1: Launch an Indian Game Development Corporation (IGDC)
· Like the NFDC for films, support:
o Prototypes of original Indian cultural games
o Grants for full production
o Marketing and international game show representation
✅ 5.2: Fund Culture-Rich IPs
· Support games based on:
o Shivaji Maharaj, Tenali Raman, Ashoka
o Ramayana, Mahabharata, Vedas
o Tribal and folk stories from regions like Odisha, Assam, Maharashtra
6. Invite Global Mentors – “Unreal India Tour”
✅ 6.1: Masterclasses with Global Talent
· Invite artists, animators, and directors from AAA titles like God of War, Hellblade, The Last of Us to:
o Teach via livestreams
o Judge Indian game jams
o Offer long-term mentorship to Indian studios
✅ 6.2: Share via YouTube, DD, and Local Colleges
· Ensure accessibility even in small towns by broadcasting sessions and adding subtitles in Indian languages.
7. Create Game Dev Incubation Zones
✅ 7.1: Build Game Parks in Metros
· Establish Game Development Parks like Film Cities, with:
o Shared office space
o High-end PCs, mocap gear
o Access to Epic/Unity licenses, sound studios
✅ 7.2: Support Indie Game Testbeds
· Allow small developers to test beta games in controlled groups and receive polish grants.
We urge the Government to take this petition seriously, not just as a request from game developers — but as a chance to put India on the world map in a future-defining industry.
Let us build the next global games from India, based on our culture, talent, and technological strength.
Respectfully submitted,
Concerned Indian Game Developers, Students, Educators, Artists, and Industry Enthusiasts
1
The Issue
Petition to Promote Unreal Engine, Cinematic Game Development, and Indian IP-Based Games in India
To, The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, The Ministry of Education, The Ministry of Culture, Government of India
Subject: Urgent Need to Support Unreal Engine Training, Cinematic Game Development, and Indian-Culture-Based Game IPs to Boost India’s Gaming Industry and Cultural Legacy
Respected Authorities,
India is a nation rich in culture, history, traditions, music, dance, folklore, and mythology — yet we have not fully leveraged this incredible heritage in modern storytelling formats like games or high-quality animated films. While we produce countless short-format mobile games, we fall severely short in producing AAA-level cinematic games that rival international productions.
India possesses a wealth of traditional narratives, classical art forms, regional dances, diverse musical styles, and a tapestry of folk tales and mythologies that have been passed down through generations. However, despite this treasure trove of stories and aesthetics, our cultural representation remains underutilized in both mainstream films and the gaming industry. While international creators successfully adapt and globalize their culture through visually rich, emotionally immersive AAA games, India has yet to harness its own cultural goldmine in a similar manner. Indian developers often lack the resources, technical skills, and institutional support to transform these stories into interactive digital experiences. The result is that Indian youth grow up playing foreign titles while our own heroes, history, and identity remain absent from global digital storytelling.
1. This gap is not due to a lack of talent, creativity, or passion, but due to deep-rooted barriers that block Indian creators from realizing their full potential. These include:
2. High Cost of Entry-Level Game Development PCs
o Unreal Engine, which powers the world’s top AAA games (e.g., Fortnite, BGMI, Hellblade), requires a PC with high-performance CPU, GPU, and RAM.
o A minimum PC for Unreal Engine with full features (ray tracing, cinematic rendering, simulation, and fast compile times) costs Rs. 65,000–80,000 or more.
o Most aspiring developers from tier 2–3 cities cannot afford this setup, limiting their ability to access high-end game development tools.
3. Lack of Accessible, High-Quality Unreal Engine Courses in India
o Unreal requires deep knowledge of C++, Blueprints, shaders, performance optimization, and animation blending.
o Bootcamps that teach these skills charge high fees (Rs. 50,000–1,00,000), which is unaffordable for many students.
o Online resources often do not cover India-specific issues like optimization for budget devices, local team structures, or indie-friendly workflows.
4. Lack of Skill in Unreal is Holding Back AAA Development
o Indian devs often rely on Unity due to familiarity and mobile focus.
o Unreal’s advanced features like control rigs, motion warping, animation blueprints, meta-sounds, and sequencer cinematics are barely taught or practiced in India.
o As a result, most Indian games lack polish, cinematic storytelling, and world-class visuals.
5. Gaming Still Faces a Cultural Stigma in India
o Parents often discourage gaming careers, associating them with addiction or joblessness.
o There is minimal awareness of gaming as a serious global industry that requires coding, art, writing, and project management.
o Schools and colleges rarely include game development in formal education.
6. Betting Apps Being Labelled as Games
o Apps like Dream11 and other gambling-based platforms are marketed as "games", confusing the public.
o This misrepresentation taints the image of game development, making it seem like gambling rather than a creative, technical profession.
7. Indian Games Lack Original IP and Cultural Roots
o Most Indian studios create clones of trending games to survive financially.
o There is little innovation or cultural storytelling, despite India’s rich heritage.
o Games based on Shivaji Maharaj, Ashoka, Vedas, or regional folklore are missing from mainstream platforms.
8. Lack of Publishers and Investors for Original Indian Games
o Publishers prefer funding hypercasual or fantasy sports apps with quick ROI.
o Cinematic or story-driven Indian games are considered “risky,” leading to underfunding or early project abandonment.
o No national fund or government-backed scheme supports high-quality IP development.
9. Brain Drain and Talent Loss
o Talented developers migrate abroad due to lack of opportunities and mentorship in India.
o Studios in Canada, USA, and Europe hire Indian talent to build games based on their culture — while India loses the chance to build games about itself.
10. Low Pay and Overwork in Indian Studios
o Junior devs often work for long hours with minimal pay, leading to burnout.
o This results in high attrition and low creative satisfaction.
o Projects focus on speed over quality, crushing innovation.
11. No Central Hub for Game Dev Resources
· Developers in India struggle to find consolidated resources — from job boards to tutorials.
· Mentorship, collaboration, and funding opportunities are scattered or unavailable.
· There is no government-supported portal or network specifically for game developers.
Key Challenges in Indian Game Development
Why India Must Be at the Forefront of Game Development
🇮🇳 Why India Must Lead in Game Development
📈 Economic, Cultural, and Global Growth Reasons
🏦 1. Game Development is a Multi-Billion Dollar Global Industry - The global gaming market is projected to cross $500+ billion by 2030. - Game development creates jobs in programming, art, design, writing, music, marketing, and even AI. - India has the second-largest youth population in the world, most of whom are gamers or creators — but we’re not producing AAA titles. - Instead of being just consumers of global games, India can become a producer and exporter of world-class games.
🔎 Fact: China’s game industry earned over $45 billion in 2023, heavily contributing to GDP and employment.
✅ Opportunity for India: - Tap into exports of Indian-made games. - Generate foreign revenue through globally released Indian titles.
🧑💼 2. Massive Job Creation Across Tech and Creative Fields - A thriving game development industry doesn’t just benefit game devs. It boosts: - Software engineers (C++, AI, game systems) - 3D artists and animators (Unreal, Blender, Maya) - Writers (interactive storytelling, lore design) - Voice actors, musicians, sound designers - Producers and QA testers
🎯 Estimate: A single large game studio employs 100–500 people. A vibrant industry can employ lakhs of Indians across cities.
🧠 3. Boosts Innovation in Emerging Tech (AI, AR/VR, Metaverse) - Game engines like Unreal and Unity are used not just for games but for: - AI simulation & robotics training - Virtual production in Bollywood (e.g., LED volume shooting like Mandalorian) - Architectural walkthroughs - Medical simulations - Defence and drone training
✅ Investing in game development automatically boosts India’s innovation in these future-critical industries.
📱 4. India is the World’s Largest Mobile Gaming Market — But We’re Importing All the Content - India has 600+ million gamers, mostly on mobile. - But 90% of top-grossing games are made outside India (PUBG/BGMI, Free Fire, COD, Genshin, etc.) - Indian money is going to foreign developers, while Indian stories are not being told.
🎯 If even 10% of Indian gamers bought an Indian-made AAA title, it could become a global success overnight.
🪔 5. Opportunity to Share Indian Culture & Stories with the World - India has thousands of years of mythology, epics, unsung heroes, and regional stories. - Titles like Raji: An Ancient Epic proved there’s a global demand for Indian lore in games. - Games like God of War made Norse and Greek myths globally iconic — why not Shivaji Maharaj, Hanuman, Ashoka, or Indian folklore?
✅ Games are the new medium of storytelling. They reach youth more powerfully than books or TV.
📊 6. Gaming Supports Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India Goals - Encouraging Indian IPs, Indian studios, and Unreal Engine mastery aligns with: - 🇮🇳 Digital India - 💼 Startup India - 📱 Make in India - Games are software + art — the exact blend India excels at.
💰 7. New Revenue Models for Indie Developers and Export - Games can be sold globally via: - Steam (PC) - Epic Store - PlayStation/Xbox - Mobile App Stores - A successful game can generate crores in royalties, merch, and licensing.
🎮 Example: Stardew Valley (made by 1 person) earned ₹800+ crore globally.
🤝 8. Cross-Industry Collaboration and Global Recognition - Gaming blends with film, music, tech, and storytelling. - Indian games can tie in with Bollywood, tourism (historical locations), education (interactive history), and VR.
✅ India can become Asia’s creative tech powerhouse, rivaling South Korea, Japan, and China.
✅ Final Thought:
Investing in game development isn’t just about “making games.”
It’s about: - 🧠 Building an innovative, tech-savvy nation - 🇮🇳 Promoting India’s culture and history - 💼 Creating millions of jobs - 💵 Generating billions in revenue
Let’s not miss this wave.
What We Request from the Government
1. Launch National Unreal Engine Bootcamps & Curriculum Access
✅ 1.1: Collaborate with Epic Games and Indian EdTechs
· Co-develop a national curriculum for Unreal Engine, tailored to Indian needs and device limitations.
· Partner with Epic Games, SWAYAM, NPTEL, and private EdTech platforms to make this content freely available.
✅ 1.2: Set Up Unreal Centers in IITs, NITs, and NIDs
· Establish Unreal Engine Centres of Excellence at institutions like IIT Bombay, NID Ahmedabad, NIT Trichy, etc.
· These centers can produce:
o Advanced Unreal tutorials (C++, Blueprints, Sequencer, Control Rig)
o Open projects & case studies for cultural game development
o Hands-on virtual production and cinematic training
✅ 1.3: Make Elite Content Accessible to All
· Make recorded lectures, project files, and live mentorship sessions from IITs/NITs available to Tier 2 and Tier 3 colleges.
· Deliver this through a central open portal, with regional language support.
✅ 1.4: Provide Subsidized Hardware Support
· Launch a government scheme to provide Unreal-ready PCs or laptops for meritorious or underprivileged students.
2. Recognize Game Development as a Formal Industry
✅ 2.1: Add Game Dev to NEP Vocational Tracks
· Include Unreal Engine, Unity, Blender, and storytelling modules in skill-based education from high school onwards.
· Promote inter-disciplinary projects involving history, culture, and digital media.
✅ 2.2: Create an Indian Game Development Policy
· Frame an official government policy covering:
o Cultural IP funding
o Tax benefits
o Studio incubation support
o Ethical gaming and esports regulation
3. Stop Mislabeling of Betting as Gaming
✅ 3.1: Redefine “Game” in Law
· Clearly distinguish interactive digital experiences (games) from fantasy sports and betting apps.
· Establish a new category: “Fantasy Gambling” for such apps.
✅ 3.2: Launch Public Awareness Drives
· Use Doordarshan, MyGov, and influencers to educate people about careers in game dev.
· Bust myths around gaming addiction, promote creative and technical aspects.
4. Create a National Game Dev Portal: gov.games.in
✅ 4.1: One-Stop Digital Hub for Game Developers
· Include:
o Learning modules
o Public project showcases
o Job boards & freelance links
o Studio grants and mentorship databases
✅ 4.2: Regional Language Support
· Translate key tutorials and materials into Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, and more.
5. Start “Cultural Game Development Grants”
✅ 5.1: Launch an Indian Game Development Corporation (IGDC)
· Like the NFDC for films, support:
o Prototypes of original Indian cultural games
o Grants for full production
o Marketing and international game show representation
✅ 5.2: Fund Culture-Rich IPs
· Support games based on:
o Shivaji Maharaj, Tenali Raman, Ashoka
o Ramayana, Mahabharata, Vedas
o Tribal and folk stories from regions like Odisha, Assam, Maharashtra
6. Invite Global Mentors – “Unreal India Tour”
✅ 6.1: Masterclasses with Global Talent
· Invite artists, animators, and directors from AAA titles like God of War, Hellblade, The Last of Us to:
o Teach via livestreams
o Judge Indian game jams
o Offer long-term mentorship to Indian studios
✅ 6.2: Share via YouTube, DD, and Local Colleges
· Ensure accessibility even in small towns by broadcasting sessions and adding subtitles in Indian languages.
7. Create Game Dev Incubation Zones
✅ 7.1: Build Game Parks in Metros
· Establish Game Development Parks like Film Cities, with:
o Shared office space
o High-end PCs, mocap gear
o Access to Epic/Unity licenses, sound studios
✅ 7.2: Support Indie Game Testbeds
· Allow small developers to test beta games in controlled groups and receive polish grants.
We urge the Government to take this petition seriously, not just as a request from game developers — but as a chance to put India on the world map in a future-defining industry.
Let us build the next global games from India, based on our culture, talent, and technological strength.
Respectfully submitted,
Concerned Indian Game Developers, Students, Educators, Artists, and Industry Enthusiasts
1
Petition created on 13 June 2025