The Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) has announced the launch of “Supernova,” a national incubation programme to help promising Indian game studios transform creative ideas into globally publishable titles.
Designed as a three-month online programme, the initiative aims to bring together mentorship, AI expertise, and publisher access in its inaugural cohort to help 40 high-potential studios become globally competitive.
The incubation program is developed with global industry partners like Tencent, PhonePe's Indus Appstore, 1312 Interactive, Sanchi Connect and more, making it one of the largest programs facilitated by GDAI to enable ecosystem growth.
The programme will culminate in a Demo Day at the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) 2026, scheduled for October 28-29, where participating studios will showcase their projects to student teams and early prototypes to publisher-ready and investment-ready companies.
The incubation program will provide founders with stage-specific mentorship from experienced game industry leaders, publisher and investor readiness support, and AI-focused game development workflows and technical guidance. The program also offers business strategy, legal and intellectual property advisory, cloud infrastructure, startup tools and technology benefits, and direct connections to publishers, platform holders and ecosystem partners.
Speaking about the initiative, Rajan Navani, Board Member and Chairperson, GDAI Incubation Subcommittee, said, “India has all the ingredients to become a global powerhouse for game development, be it creative talent or entrepreneurial energy, and a rapidly growing domestic market.
The next phase of growth will depend on our ability to help founders build sustainable studios capable of creating globally successful IP. Supernova is an important step towards building that long-term ecosystem.”
GDAI CEO Shruti Verma stated, “Over the past few months, our conversations with founders across India have revealed a common set of challenges. Many studios struggle to move from building games to building sustainable businesses, securing publisher access, raising growth capital, adopting AI-driven production workflows, and navigating the path from prototype to commercial success.
“Through Supernova, we're bringing together mentorship, publishing access, AI expertise and industry networks to help founders build investment-ready, globally competitive game studios.”
The incubator will conclude with a Demo Day at the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) 2026, where participating studios will showcase their games to publishers, investors and industry leaders from India and around the world.
The last day to apply for the first Supernova cohort is July 31, 2026, with the selected studios expected to be announced in August 2026.
The launch comes as India's game development ecosystem gathers momentum through structured incubation programmes. With Supernova, GDAI is betting that India's next gaming success story will not just be played locally, but exported to players around the world.
About GDAI
The Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) is India's leading industry body for the video gaming ecosystem, as well as a non-profit organization that brings together game creators from every state to form a single common national environment.
GDAI is dedicated to creating business opportunities, upskilling talent, and developing policy frameworks with the government to position India as a worldwide hub for game development.
The association is supporting the transition from individual talent to strong studios with access to global markets, nurturing 5,000 game start-ups and inspiring over 25,000 students worldwide to pursue a career in gaming.
