Tencent returns to India with Rs 10 crore gaming push

The announcement holds importance because it marks one of Tencent’s clearest public expansions in India after years of regulatory uncertainty surrounding Chinese-linked investments and digital businesses following the India-China border tensions. Tencent had faced hurdles too, specially with the popular PUBG game. “We welcome the enhanced regulatory clarity, especially in the gaming sector. The Government of India’s focus on the orange economy is not only well received, but also a major reason why we are here today,” Danny Marti, Head of Public Policy and Global Affairs at Tencent, said during the interaction.

He added that earlier conversations with stakeholders often required the company to distinguish between esports and real-money gaming platforms, which emerged as a point of contention leading to confusion in the sector. Tencent has centered its India strategy around coming off as a strong player for the gaming and creator ecosystem more than immediate commercial expansion. Local Capacity Building Under the partnership with SEPC, Tencent seeks to work on national capacity building, industry dialogue and enabling Indian AVGC companies to integrate with international value chains.

The collaboration is also expected to facilitate exposure for Indian gaming and creative technology firms in overseas markets. The MoU with GDAI, meanwhile, focuses on grassroots developer engagement and skilling. Planned initiatives include a National Game Jam targeting more than 10,000 students annually, Train-the-Trainer programs for educators across colleges and expanded participation in the Indian Game Developers Conference (IGDC).

The company also sees India as a potential source of globally exportable gaming intellectual property (IP). Yong-yi Zhu, Vice President, Business Operations, Strategy and Compliance at Tencent Games Global, said the company wants to support Indian developers in creating games and stories that can travel internationally. “There are so many incredible stories that local Indian developers want to tell globally, and we want to provide that opportunity and experience,” Zhu said.