CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu signed partnerships with leading gaming companies on Thursday at the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) here, as part of its initiatives for long-term investment in game development, design and immersive media.
Memoranda of Understanding were inked with Nazara Technologies, Lakshya Digital and Reliance Games, alongside a skilling and research tie-up between the Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) and Hindustan University in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Udayanidhi Stalin. Information Technology Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan was also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the second day of IGDC 2025, Udayanidhi Stalin positioned the state’s AVGC-XR agenda as the next chapter in a decades-long digital push.
He traced the roots of Tamil Nadu’s tech-led development to former chief minister M Karunanidhi, crediting him with establishing India’s first IT department in 1998 and introducing computer education in schools.
That legacy, he said, had been expanded under Chief Minister MK Stalin, with Tamil Nadu now “at the frontier of AR, VR and immersive technologies”.
Udayanidhi described AVGC-XR as the space “where art meets engineering and creativity fuels economic growth”, and said the forthcoming policy would also include a dedicated facilitation cell, a Centre of Excellence in Chennai within six months, and regional hubs across major cities.
“This policy is not just about an industry, it is about empowering imagination, collaboration and innovation,” he said.
Sridhar Muppidi, chairperson of GDAI, said Tamil Nadu had set a benchmark for how states could cultivate innovation and a youth-led digital economy.
Cross-state collaboration also featured at the event. Kerala’s AVGC network signed partnerships in the presence of the state’s IT secretary, including an MoU linking a Kerala-based studio with Datsi School, the CSR arm of Zebu Animation, to jointly develop and co-own original game IP, a model billed as a first for student-led game creation in India.
