Chennai: Krafton India has announced the launch of the KIGI Academy, an industry-academic program designed to build India’s game development talent pipeline. In partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), the Academy will offer immersive training into coding, game design, UI/UX, art and product development.
Through the six-month, fully funded initiative, IITM students will receive hands-on exposure across the full game development spectrum. The program comprises a four-month campus learning phase at IIT Madras, followed by a two-month immersive residency at Krafton India’s Bengaluru headquarters. The inaugural cohort will include 30 students, with up to 10 progressing to the residential segment.
The on-site phase focuses on core game development skills using Unity, with emphasis on mobile gaming and weekly collaborative builds. The residency provides hands-on exposure to real-world production processes, culminating in the creation and showcase of a vertical-slice game. Throughout, participants are mentored by industry experts and introduced to Krafton’s global development standards, with top performers receiving full-time job opportunities at Krafton India.
Anuj Sahni, Head of Krafton Incubator Program & Director Publishing, Krafton India, said:
“India has exceptional engineering and creative talent. What has been missing is a structured bridge between academic learning and real-world game development. KIGI Academy aims to close that gap. For students dreaming of making games, this offers a rare chance to learn how a game is built — from ideation and design to development and publishing — under industry guidance. Through our partnership with IIT Madras, we are creating a platform to prepare the next generation to build world-class games from India.”
Saurabh Shah, Head of People Operations, Krafton India, said:
“At Krafton India, we see immense potential in India’s young talent. KIGI Academy creates a meaningful pathway from learning to careers in gaming. Through this program, we identify promising talent early, give them industry-led training and connect them to real-world opportunities. We hope to contribute to a stronger, more future-ready talent pool for India’s gaming ecosystem.”
Prof. Prathap Haridoss, Dean, Academic Courses, IIT Madras, said:
“At IIT Madras, we believe meaningful innovation happens when academia and industry collaborate to solve real-world challenges. KIGI Academy exemplifies this, letting students learn directly from industry experts while working on practical aspects of game development. We are pleased to partner with Krafton India and look forward to nurturing talent that contributes to India’s game development growth.”
KIGI Academy builds on Krafton’s established training legacy in Korea. Since launching ‘Krafton Jungle’ in October 2022, Krafton has run intensive, project-based residencies designed to sharpen technical skills through the full game creation cycle, from prototype to launch. The program now aims to train 1,000 developers annually in Korea. KIGI Academy adapts this hands-on philosophy to India’s mobile-first, fast-growing gaming industry.
IIT Madras — ranked India’s No. 1 engineering institution for ten consecutive years under NIRF — was selected as the founding partner following a multi-year campus relationship with Krafton India through events such as Rendezvous, technical festivals and game jams.