Indie Game Utsav to Spotlight India’s Independent Gaming Talent with 30 Game Titles in Showcase
Mumbai : Every independent game begins with an idea. Turning that idea into a game, finding an audience and building a sustainable business around it can be a much longer journey. Indie Game Utsav (IGU), a platform dedicated to supporting India’s independent game development community, aims to make that journey a little easier.
Held under Comic Con India, IGU will take place from the 7th to the 13th of December, 2026, with its conference and workshop days scheduled for the 9th and 10th. The initiative will bring independent developers together with international game creators, venture capitalists and industry leaders, creating opportunities to learn, exchange ideas, showcase original work and build connections that can last beyond the event.
IGU will feature 30 indie game titles from Indian developers, spanning a diverse mix of genres and creative styles. The lineup will include titles such as Raji: Kaliyuga, Street Cricket. Appa, Cosmic Race, Raahi, Dodo Duckie, Gods of Cricket and FENDERSHOT, among others. The showcase will give independent studios an opportunity to present their work to a wider audience and connect with fellow developers and industry stakeholders, while allowing visitors to discover some of the original games being developed across the country.
Beyond the showcase, IGU will place a strong emphasis on helping developers navigate the business and creative challenges of independent game development. Its intensive mentorship programme will give selected developers direct access to international game developers, venture capitalists and global gaming industry leaders. Each participant will be able to choose six mentors for dedicated one-hour, one-on-one sessions, spread across three to four days. A structured follow-up call after the event will ensure that developers can continue to seek guidance and build on the relationships established during the programme.
The mentorship and knowledge programme will feature experienced professionals from across the global gaming industry, including representatives from Ubisoft Paris, thatgamecompany, Upside Up Games AB, Nodding Heads Studio and Cassini Sound, alongside founders and leaders from independent studios such as Hyperboreal, Goldpact Goblins and Papercoda Games. Bringing together expertise across game design, production, narrative development, sound and studio management, the programme will offer developers valuable perspectives on building and growing their games.
The conference and workshop days on the 9th and 10th will feature panel discussions, keynotes and practical sessions covering game development, funding, publishing and scaling. The sessions will bring together people with experience across different parts of the gaming business, giving developers an opportunity to discuss the practical realities of taking a game from development to market.
“India has the talent, and ambition to build games that can find audiences across the world. The opportunity now is to create an environment where independent developers have the support and industry access to take those ideas further. Through Indie Game Utsav, we want to bring the people building games closer to the people who can help them grow, whether that means finding the right partners, understanding the business or simply learning from someone who has been there before. A stronger indie ecosystem will ultimately mean more original Indian games reaching the world,” said Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming.
Avichal Singh, Founder, Indie Game Utsav, said, “Independent developers often have to figure out a lot of things on their own, from building the game to figuring out funding, publishing and finding an audience. We wanted IGU to give them a chance to have those conversations with people who understand what that journey looks like. Every developer has different questions and different ambitions, so the mentorship programme gives them the freedom to choose who they want to learn from. If someone leaves IGU with a clearer direction for their game, a useful new connection or the confidence to take their next step, we’ll consider that a meaningful outcome.”.
IGU will also feature the first-ever public playable demo of Raji: Kaliyuga, giving attendees an opportunity to experience the much-anticipated game firsthand. The creators will host an exclusive trailer breakdown session, taking audiences through the making of the campaign behind its trailer, which has crossed 13 million views. The session will explore how the team approached the campaign, the creative decisions behind it and the work that went into building an audience around the game.
The initiative also brings together the wider creative communities represented by Comic Con India and IndiaJoy, connecting independent game development with India’s growing animation, visual effects, digital entertainment and pop culture industries.
Sri. A. Revanth Reddy, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Government of Telangana, said, “Telangana is proud to be at the forefront of India’s VFX, Animation & Gaming revolution. We are committed to empowering local talent, strengthening our creative ecosystem, and unlocking limitless opportunities that will shape a vibrant and globally competitive future for our youth and the industry.”
Mr Sanjay Jaju, IAS, Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana, said, “The Invest Telangana Global Summit and IndiaJoy are being organised as part of the State’s initiatives towards achieving the goal of a one-trillion-dollar economy. Special programmes are being planned to attract globally renowned companies from the animation, gaming, VFX and other creative and entertainment sectors and facilitate the establishment of their centres in Hyderabad.”
Indie Game Utsav is a step towards building a stronger support system for independent game developers in India. By bringing 30 game titles together and creating opportunities for their creators to interact with industry leaders, investors and experienced developers, IGU hopes to encourage more collaboration, open up new opportunities and give independent studios the support they need to keep building and growing.
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