The brightest creative and tech visionaries have converged in Mumbai, India’s creative heartbeat, for the landmark launch of the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES). Marking a new chapter in India’s global entertainment narrative, WinZO, India’s leading interactive entertainment platform, alongside the Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC), proudly revealed 20 groundbreaking winners of the Bharat Tech Triumph Program (BTTP)—the cornerstone of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s ambitious ‘Create in India’ initiative. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting launched 4 challenges under the ‘Create in India’ Gaming umbrella to showcase India’s potential to produce content for the world. Shining under this clarion call is the Bharat Tech Triumph Edition (BTTP) Edition 3, by Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC). The 20 winners will be showcasing at Waves starting 1st May 2025.
The success of BTTP lies at the intersection of two powerful trends. Firstly, the global and Indian entertainment industries have decisively shifted towards gaming. The global gaming market, valued at USD 300 billion, already surpasses the combined movie and music industries, while India’s USD 3.7 billion gaming sector has become the leading contributor to new-age media, overtaking sectors like movies, music, and cricket. Secondly, Indian gaming companies, exemplified by WinZO, have strategically pivoted from 2023 onwards towards creating and exporting Indian gaming intellectual property (IP) globally.
Chosen from over 2,000 entries, these winners have been guided and mentored by industry luminaries such as Dr. Mukesh Aghi, President – US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, Prashant Prakash, Partner – Accel Partners, Archana Jahagirdar, Managing Partner -Rukam Capital, and Rajesh Raju, Managing Partner – Kalaari Capital. Their innovative creations have dazzled international audiences at elite platforms including Game Developer Conference (GDC) 2024, Gamescom LATAM, Gamescom Germany, and this year’s GDC in San Francisco. These visionary developers will also showcase their latest games at WAVES.
BTTP is looking to pick India’s best game developers, provide global exposure and mentoring from the industry, fundraising opportunities, networking among global peers, and fine-tune their products to make them globally consumable. These interventions are aimed at making Indian gaming IP export-ready. India stands uniquely positioned with both significant domestic demand and immense untapped export potential, an advantage illustrated by smaller countries like Finland, Turkey, Israel which, despite its small population, has emerged as a global gaming leader with 90% of export-driven revenue. Leveraging both its large domestic consumer base and rising international opportunities, India is primed for exponential growth in the global gaming landscape while generating high productivity employment, shaping India’s soft power projection, and embedding India deep into the global psyche.
Among the 20 winners, highlighting India’s rich cultural heritage, Brahman Studios unveiled “AUM-The Game,” an immersive philosophical adventure and a unique Karma system. Hyderabad’s 5th Ocean Studios captivated audiences with “Ilavath: Battle Arenas,” an innovative strategy game deeply rooted in the eternal war between Devas and Asuras. Speaking on the opportunity, Sowmitri Maluchuru from Brahman Studios stated, “Being selected for GDC, Startup Mahakumbh, and WAVES is a lifetime opportunity for an independent developer like me to share my story and vision on a global platform, connecting with audiences, investors, and mentors worldwide.”
To leverage gaming’s potential for social outcomes, WinZO also partnered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for gamifying healthcare under the Bharat Startup Grand Challenge launched by the Ministry of Commerce. Xfinito Biodesigns won recognition for their innovative products MiMo (MindMotion) and ReLive. MiMo is a health-focused gaming console enhancing brain function and rehabilitation, while ReLive is an AI-powered program combining cognitive computing, gamified activities, and digital therapeutics. Shri Rohit Kumar Singh, Former Secretary to the Government of India and Honorary Mentor in the Challenge, remarked, “Effectively addressing modern healthcare challenges demands a multifaceted approach. Gaming, with its immersive content and wide appeal, empowers individuals to manage their health proactively. I’m particularly excited about leveraging gamification, AR, and VR in healthcare professional training and capacity building.”
Shri Prashanth Prakash, an eminent venture capitalist and Jury Member of BTTP noted: “India’s startup ecosystem is growing at a galloping speed. Visionary and thoughtful initiatives like the BTTP lay the groundwork to bring the ecosystem together and forever change the direction and acceleration of growth of a sector. Gaming, in India and globally, is undergoing a massive shift, and if India plays its cards right, it has the potential to become a leading global gaming market with a market size of over 50-60 bn by 2034. The Hon’ble PM urged the sector to export Made in India games and BTTP rose up to contribute to this vision. Now in its 3rd Edition, BTTP shows the untapped talent, remarkable interest in gaming, and the need for scalable programs in the gaming sector.”
Paavan Nanda, WinZO Co-founder, articulated the initiative’s profound mission: “Presenting India’s pioneering gaming talent at global forums like WAVES and GDC is a privilege. These creators symbolize India’s unlimited potential in exporting cutting-edge gaming technology, vibrant culture, and powerful IP worldwide.”
‘Create in India’ is a noble and visionary pursuit by the Government of India. The success of such a goal will hinge on India’s ability to capture shifting sands of global consumption, like in gaming, and investing in India’s talent to enable them to make export-ready products. BTTP captures the essence of these two critical factors and will prove crucial in exporting Indian gaming IP.
About IEIC: IEIC is India’s premier non-profit dedicated to positioning India as a global epicenter of interactive entertainment innovation, uniting over 70 leading gaming enterprises, investors, developers, and legal experts in its vibrant
About WinZO: WinZO is India’s first and largest interactive entertainment platform, with over 250 million registered users across India and Brazil. Hosting 100+ third-party casual games in 15 languages, WinZO has built a vibrant community of 75,000+ micro-influencers, game streamers, and freelancers, primarily from India’s Tier II–V cities. WinZO is a pioneer in gaming-for-good initiatives, such as ‘Play to Prevent Cancer,’ partnering with Tata Memorial Hospital to establish a Gene Counseling Center and advance early cancer detection awareness. Facilitating 1 in every 200 United Payment Interface (UPI) transactions in India, WinZO is a series-C funded venture, having raised USD 100 million from leading global investors including Kalaari, Griffin Gaming Partners, Courtside Ventures, and Makers Fund—their first investment in the Indian startup ecosystem.