The 17th edition of the India Game Developer Conference (IGDC) is set to begin tomorrow, November 5, at the Chennai Trade Centre. For the first time, the conference moves from its long-time home in Hyderabad, marking a new era for the event and the Indian gaming industry.

This three-day event (November 5-7) is the most important gathering of the year for South Asia's gaming ecosystem, bringing together over 5,000 attendees, including developers, investors, publishers, and students.

For anyone attending, or for those just wanting to understand the industry's biggest event, here is a detailed breakdown of everything happening at IGDC 2025.

1. The 150+ Sessions & Key Speakers
The core of the conference is its 150+ sessions, panels, and workshops, which are divided into dedicated tracks so attendees can focus on their specialty:

Art

Design

Programming (Tech)

Production

Audio

Business & Marketing

While the full schedule is live on the event app, the speaker list features a "who's who" of the global and Indian gaming industry. Keynotes and sessions will be delivered by top executives from a-list companies, including:

Sean Hyunil Sohn (CEO, Krafton India)

Aditya Swamy (Managing Director, Google)

Sarvesh Shroff (R&D Manager, Ubisoft Pune)

Saikat Mondal (SVP - Strategy, Nazara Technologies)

Shiew Yeu Loh (Senior Outsourcing Art Manager, Riot Games)

Walter Paleari (Investment Associate, Makers Fund)

The event is backed by major industry players, with Nazara Technologies as the Platinum Sponsor and Krafton India as a Diamond Sponsor.

2. The Investor-Publisher (I/P) Connect: The High-Stakes Dealmaking
This is the single most critical business event of the conference, especially for studio founders and indie developers.

What it is: The I/P Connect is a high-stakes, curated matchmaking program. It is not a casual networking event. Its sole purpose is to get developers and their games in front of the people with money and distribution power.

How it works:

Application: Developers must apply for the I/P Connect in advance.

Curation: The IGDC team reviews all applications and "pre-screens" them.

Matchmaking: Shortlisted developers are then matched with a list of over 100+ investors and publishers (both Indian and international) based on their project's stage, genre, and funding needs.

Meetings: The event is a series of pre-scheduled, one-on-one, 15-minute private meetings that take place in a dedicated, invite-only space across all three days of the conference.

For any developer seeking funding or a publishing deal, the I/P Connect is the main reason to attend IGDC.

3. The India Game Awards (IGA)
The IGAs are the conference's prestigious awards ceremony, celebrating the best games and creators in the Indian industry.

When: The ceremony will be held on the evening of November 6, 2025.

This year's awards feature several new and important categories. Here is the complete list:

Game of the Year Categories:

Mobile Game of the Year

PC/Console Game of the Year

Indie Game of the Year

Upcoming Game Categories (New):

Upcoming Mobile Game of the Year

Upcoming PC/Console Game of the Year

Other Categories:

Student Game of the Year

Best Art Direction

Best Game Direction

Best International Game

Best Gaming Media (New)

Best Esports Team (New)

Popular Choice Award

Jury Awards:

Woman in Games (Jury Award)

Hall of Fame (Jury Award)

WINGS x IGDC Award: A special award in partnership with WINGS to recognize and support an outstanding women-led game studio.

4. The Expo Floor: Indie 40 & BYOG
The main expo floor is where attendees can play games, meet developers, and see new technology. The two biggest highlights are the Indie 40 and BYOG showcases.

Indie 40 Showcase
This is a flagship initiative to spotlight the best independent games in the country. Out of hundreds of submissions, the IGDC jury selects the top 40 unreleased games. These 40 studios are given a free booth on the expo floor to showcase their games to publishers, investors, and the public. It is the single biggest discovery platform for indie developers at the event.

BYOG (Build Your Own Game) Showcase
Many people are confused by this, but BYOG is not a 3-day event at IGDC. It is an annual 72-hour online "game jam" (a rapid game-creation competition) that already took place from October 9-12.

The finalists and winners from that online competition are given a dedicated space on the IGDC expo floor to showcase the games they created in just 72 hours.

5. The Women in Gaming Initiative
IGDC 2025 is placing a major emphasis on promoting diversity and inclusion. The "Women in Gaming" initiative is a powerful movement within the conference that includes:

Dedicated Sessions: Panels and talks focused on empowering women in the industry.

Networking Events: Curated opportunities for women attendees to connect with leaders and mentors.

Mentorship Programs: Connecting aspiring developers with established industry veterans.

Awards: The "Woman in Games (Jury Award)" and the "WINGS x IGDC Award."

Women Gamemakers Shortlist: A dedicated showcase (similar to Indie 40) that provides free booths to promising studios led by women.

6. Why the Move to Chennai?
After a decade in Hyderabad, the move to Chennai is a major strategic decision by the GDAI (Game Developer Association of India). The move is designed to:

Tap into a New Talent Pool: Chennai has a massive, high-quality talent pool from its strong IT and engineering infrastructure.

Leverage Government Support: The Tamil Nadu government has been actively promoting its AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) policies to attract new-age tech industries.

This move signals an expansion of India's gaming hubs beyond traditional centers like Hyderabad, Pune, and Bengaluru.