Tencent commits Rs 10 crore to India’s AVGC sector, signs 3-year partnerships with SEPC, GDAI

Chinese technology giant Tencent has announced a multi-year push into India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) ecosystem, committing Rs 10 crore in initial resources and programmes aimed at talent development, startup support and industry capacity building. 

The company signed separate three-year memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) and the Game Developers Association of India (GDAI) as part of its broader effort to support what it described as India’s growing “Orange Economy”. 

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“Our goal goes beyond investing in programmes. We want to work with local partners to build practical pathways for talent, creators, and studios,” said Danny Marti, Head of Public Policy and Global Affairs at Tencent. “By combining India’s creative strengths with Tencent’s expertise, we hope to support a more connected and globally competitive AVGC ecosystem.” 

Under the partnership with SEPC, Tencent said it will support national capacity building, facilitate industry dialogue and help Indian AVGC companies access international value chains. 

“The AVGC sector is an important driver of India’s services exports and creative competitiveness,” said Dr. Abhay Sinha, Director General, SEPC, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. “Our future potential collaborations with Tencent will aim to help strengthen industry capabilities and offer more opportunities for Indian companies and professionals in the international market.” 

Tencent also signed a separate three-year agreement with GDAI focused on grassroots developer engagement and gaming talent creation. The initiatives include a National Game Jam targeting more than 10,000 students annually, train-the-trainer programmes for educators and participation in the Indian Game Developers Conference (IGDC). 

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“India is at a defining moment in its gaming journey, with the opportunity to emerge as a global hub for game development and interactive entertainment,” said Shruti Verma, CEO of GDAI. “Through this partnership with Tencent, we aim to strengthen the talent pipeline through grassroots skilling, mentorship, and deeper developer engagement.” 

The move comes as India’s gaming market continues to expand rapidly. According to data cited by Tencent from Niko Partners, India is expected to become the fastest-growing gaming market across Asia and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with player spending projected to hit $1.5 billion by 2028 and the country expected to have 724 million gamers by 2029.