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At Storyboard18's Digital Entertainment Summit 2025, Brijesh Singh, Principal Secretary, Directorate General of Information & PR, Maharashtra, made a strong case for harmonizing India’s fragmented legal framework around cybercrime, gambling, and online gaming.

“There needs to be one uniform policy across all states,” Singh said, highlighting how the Indian Gambling Act of the 1850s has created a patchwork of state-level regulations. “Nagaland may come up with something, Haryana may come up with something, Maharashtra may come up with something,” he added. “There has to be a harmonization.”

Singh emphasized the need for a national framework, particularly for online gaming, which he described as fundamentally different from traditional gambling. “To put sanity around all this, you need a national framework. It would be very worthwhile that some kind of a model framework is created which then all states follow,” he said. “Rather than having this patchwork of governance, it should have one at least unified law across all country.”

This demand for uniformity was also tied to investigative challenges. “Policing is a state subject,” Singh noted. “Investigation, collection of evidence, arrests—all of that falls under state jurisdiction.” But capability varies widely across states like Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, making enforcement uneven and inefficient.

He further argued that the internet erases jurisdictional boundaries, unlike traditional land-based industries. “It’s illogical to apply a land-based legal model to the internet. There are no borders on the internet.” Singh called for immediate action: “We need harmonization and we need it now.”

Singh shared how Maharashtra became an early mover in cyber policing. “Maharashtra was one of the first states to establish 47 cyber labs in one go. In fact, I was very lucky to be the first cyber chief in 2015.”

With an allocation of ₹1,000 crore from the then Chief Minister, “we could go around the world, see what is the state of the art and create best labs in Maharashtra.” He added that this helped train lakhs of personnel and build public awareness.

Feedback loops were also created with banks and regulators: “If we saw that there was a feedback that KYC is a weakness which is leading to crimes, then we could give feedback to the regulators... and come up with right policies and right frameworks.”

The official praised central coordination tools like I4C and 1930. “There is a number called 1930. Everybody should remember this number because as soon as somebody is subjected to crime, they should call up this number because it stops the flight of money.”

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/interviews/retrospective-gst-and-offshore-gambling-are-twin-threats-for-gaming-eys-ashish-pherwani-72262.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Retrospective GST and offshore gambling are twin threats for gaming: EY’s Ashish Pherwani</a>

In most cybercrime cases, money gets distributed across accounts in real time. “1930 has the authority to stop this flight of money. Because generally in crime we say: follow the money.”

He also highlighted cybercrime.gov.in, where victims can lodge anonymous complaints. “A lot has been done... in raising the capabilities and the capacity and the skills of police forces to investigate cybercrimes.”

On partnerships, the official cited the Maharashtra Cyber Digital Crime Unit, later rebranded as the Intellectual Property Crime Unit. “It was a unique partnership in which we told the industry: you give us the infrastructure, manpower, expertise—we’ll give you the law enforcement teeth.”

This collaboration led to blocking millions of piracy hits per month. “Only 14% of piracy traffic was happening in India and 16% overseas,” he said, rebutting long-standing criticism of India’s IP enforcement.

He called for similar public-private models for threat intelligence sharing: “It can be about anything—crypto flows, malware, IPs, illegal transactions.”

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/banning-games-is-not-the-solution-jayesh-ranjan-govt-of-telangana-at-storyboard18-des-2025-72661.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Banning games is not the solution: Jayesh Ranjan, Govt of Telangana at Storyboard18 DES 2025</a>

Need a unified national policy for online gaming: Brijesh Singh, Principal Secretary, Maharashtra Govt at Storyboard18 DES 2025

Speaking at Storyboard18’s Digital Entertainment Summit 2025, Brijesh Singh, Principal Secretary, Directorate General of Information & PR, Maharashtra, spotlighted the state’s leading role in tackling cybercrime and illegal online betting. As digital threats grow more complex and borderless, Singh underscored the urgent need for harmonized regulation, stronger infrastructure, and public-private collaboration to stay ahead in the fight against digital crime.

“First of all, I think as it has been discussed in the earlier sessions also, there needs to be one uniform policy across all states. Nagaland may come up with something, Haryana may come up with something, Maharashtra may come up with something. There has to be a harmonization,” he said.

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WATCH: Maharashtra's DGIPR Brijesh Singh on need of uniform policy across states

At the Digital Entertainment Summit 2025 hosted by Storyboard18, Dr. M.C. Sarangan, Member of the Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA), emphasized the need to shift India’s online gaming narrative from regulation to responsibility. Stressing that the core issue lies not in gaming itself but in compulsive overuse, Sarangan called for a nationwide push toward public awareness, early intervention, and collaborative governance to foster a safer digital gaming ecosystem.

“The problem isn’t gaming. It’s excessive and compulsive gaming. We promote responsible gaming, and every action we take is based on research,” Sarangan said, outlining TNOGA’s core philosophy.

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WATCH: TNOGA's Dr. M.C. Sarangan on gaming addiction as a collective fight

At Storyboard18’s Digital Entertainment Summit (DES) 2025, Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana, made a strong case against blanket bans on online gaming and instead called for a more nuanced, long-term regulatory approach.

“The gaming sector offers economic potential, but also raises concerns like addiction, underage participation, and fraud. Blanket bans don’t work. While Telangana has had its own bans, I don’t believe that’s the long-term solution,” said Ranjan.

He also highlighted the limitations of the current national regulatory structure and emphasized the need for a more effective model:

“The current national approach of self-regulatory bodies (SRBs) hasn’t worked well either due to elite capture and fragmentation. We are now exploring a third model that balances innovation and consumer protection. It’s not an easy solution, but necessary.”

Telangana’s AVGC Push

In the broader context of India’s growing AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics) sector, Ranjan outlined how Telangana has emerged as a national frontrunner by combining early policy innovation, large-scale infrastructure, and industry-integrated skilling.

“Telangana recognized the potential of this sector much earlier than others. After becoming a separate state in 2014, we identified the AVGC sector as a flagship component of our digital economy. We were possibly the first state to come out with a progressive AVGC policy, and we’re now working on version 2.0. This policy was built bottom-up, addressing real challenges faced by the industry,” said Ranjan.

He added that Telangana’s approach has gone beyond policy announcements.

“Beyond policy, we’ve taken five concrete steps—most notably, the construction of the IMAGE Tower in Hyderabad. This is a 1.6 million sq. ft. Grade A facility with ₹1,200 crore of state investment. It’s expected to generate 30,000 jobs and attract over 150 VFX companies.”

Ranjan also highlighted the city’s growing cinematic dominance and its strong pipeline of industry leaders.

“In the last 15 years, 12 of the highest-grossing Indian films came from the South—9 of them from the Telugu industry. Even films from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka often have their post-production and VFX work done in Hyderabad.”

“We also have a significant leadership presence in this sector—about 15–16% of India’s top AVGC company CEOs are from Telangana.”

Telangana, unlike many other states, didn’t wait for AVGC momentum to build organically. It built a cohesive foundation proactively.

“Unlike many states, we didn’t wait for an organic ecosystem to emerge and then react. We preemptively built a cohesive one—combining policy, infrastructure, talent development, and incentives,” said Ranjan.

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/india-can-lead-in-avgc-but-industry-must-focus-on-finishing-skills-jayesh-ranjan-govt-of-telangana-at-storyboard18-des-2025-72123.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">India can lead in AVGC, but industry must focus on 'finishing skills': Jayesh Ranjan, Govt of Telangana at Storyboard18 DES 2025</a>

Read More:<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/dr-mc-sarangan-of-tnoga-pushes-for-safe-gaming-ecosystem-at-storyboard18-des-2025-72197.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Dr. MC Sarangan of TNOGA pushes for safe gaming ecosystem at Storyboard18 DES 2025</a>

Banning games is not the solution: Jayesh Ranjan, Govt of Telangana at Storyboard18 DES 2025

India is fast emerging as a global creative force, no longer just a consumer of international content, said Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting; and Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. L Murugan at Storyboard18’s Digital Entertainment Summit 2025. 

Highlighting the scale of the digital economy—powered by 971 million internet users and 562 million smartphones—Murugan identified streaming, gaming, AVGC-XR, and live events as key drivers of the ₹2.5 trillion media and entertainment industry. He also underscored the role of government-led initiatives like WAVES 2025 and the Indian Institute of Creative Technology in building talent and cultural influence worldwide.

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WATCH: MoS I&B Dr. L Murugan on India emerging as a global creative powerhouse

India’s media and entertainment industry is undergoing a digital revolution, driven by the country’s mobile-first youth, widespread smartphone usage, and affordable internet access. 

Speaking at Storyboard18’s Digital Entertainment Summit 2025, Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, revealed that over 55% of all advertising spends are now directed towards digital platforms. With emerging technologies like AI, XR, and VR entering the mainstream, the future of storytelling, production, and content consumption in India is being fundamentally reshaped.

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WATCH: I&B Ministry's Sanjay Jaju says on gaming, creators and India's digital entertainment economy at Storyboard18's DES 2025

At a time when India is seeking a larger role in the global entertainment economy, policymakers and industry leaders gathered in New Delhi last week to chart a path forward. The Storyboard18 Digital Entertainment Summit, held on June 27 at The Leela Palace, convened government officials and business executives to outline India’s ambitions in digital entertainment, emphasizing the convergence of talent, technology, and governance as the drivers of growth. The event, reflecting the ambitions set at the government’s World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), drew a roster of industry luminaries who shared insights on the opportunities and challenges shaping India’s digital future.


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2025/06/RAVI5803-2025-06-c2fd79b7c62d997d83492f7bc41327a5-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-72430" />


- L Murugan, Minister of State for I&B and Parliamentary Affairs, Government of India discussed on 'Empowering Bharat Through Digital Entertainment'.


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- (From left to right) Ananay Jain, Partner, Grant Thornton; Piyush Kumar, Founder & CEO, Rooter; and Shivani Jha, Founder, EPWA spoke on 'Responsible Digital Entertainment'


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- Brijesh Singh, Principal Secretary, Directorate General of Information & PR, Maharashtra discusses on 'Role of States in promoting gaming industry'


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- Minister Murugan captured having a light hearted moment with MC Sarangan, Member, Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority


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- (From left to right) Harnit Khatri, gaming influencer; Tanmay Singh, Esports athlete and influencer; and Mehek Sayed (Miz), gaming influencer touched upon 'Gaming and the creator economy' with CNN-News18's news anchor Toya Singh


<img src="https://images.storyboard18.com/storyboard18/2025/07/RAVI5895-2025-07-2d2e92e046595ec85cd0d9a284553059-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1707" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-72489" />


- Rohit Gupta, CEO & Founder, Dream Game Studios


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- (From left to right) Gopal Jain, senior counsel; Dhruv Garg, gaming and tech lawyer; Nandan Kamath, Principal Lawyer, LawNK; and Rakesh Maheshwari, former senior director, Meity conversed on 'Effective regulatory structure for online gaming in India' with independent legal advisor Gowree Gokhale


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/in-photos-at-des-2025-india-charts-ambitious-course-for-digital-entertainment-leadership-72333.htm">In Photos: At DES 2025, India charts ambitious course for digital entertainment leadership</a>

In Photos: Policymakers, stakeholders map a digital entertainment future at DES 2025

At the Leela Palace in New Delhi last week, the Storyboard18 Digital Entertainment Summit unfolded as India sharpened its ambitions to lead the global digital entertainment economy. The gathering, held on June 27, reflected the ambitions set at the government’s high-profile World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit earlier this year, highlighting the sector’s growing weight in the country’s economic strategy.

Senior policymakers laid out how India plans to harness talent, technology, and governance to drive growth in the fast-evolving digital entertainment landscape. The event drew a roster of industry leaders and government officials who shared insights on charting a future-ready path for one of the country's most dynamic sectors.

Here are some of the voices who offered a closer look at how India aims to shape the next chapter of its entertainment economy.

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- Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary, Government of Telangana engaged in a fireside dialogue

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- Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information &amp; Broadcasting, Government of India

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- Rohit Gupta, CEO &amp; Founder, Dream Game Studios, discussed on 'Game On: How Dream Cricket 25 Is Leveling Up India’s Digital Entertainment Landscape'

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- Jaju spoke on 'India's Growth as a Global Entertainment Leader'.

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- Dilsher Singh Malhi, Founder &amp; CEO, Zupee

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- (From left to right) Industry experts Manvendra Shukul, Founder, Lakshya Digital; Sridhar Muppidi, Chairperson, Game Developer Association of India; Akshat Rathee, Co-founder &amp; MD, Nodwin Gaming, engaged in a discussion on 'Gaming as a global cultural soft power for India'.

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- (From left to right) Deepak M V, CEO, Open Play Technology; Roby John, Founder, SuperGaming; Anurag Choudhary, Founder, Felicity Games; and Abhishek Ravi, CIO, Dream Sports.

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- (From left to right) Nodwin Gaming's Rathee, Lakshya Digital's Shukul, Game Developer Association of India's Muppidi, and Zupee's Malhi caught in one frame.

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- MC Sarangan, Member, Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority

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- (From left to right) Roland Landers, CEO, All India Gaming Federation (AIGF); Salone Sehgal, Founder &amp; Managing Partner, Lumikai; and Meghan Bal, Director, ESYA Centre, speak on 'Online Gaming - A key Contributor to India's Trillion Dollar Economy'.



Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/in-photos-policymakers-stakeholders-map-a-digital-entertainment-future-at-des-2025-72406.htm">In Photos: Policymakers, stakeholders map a digital entertainment future at DES 2025</a>

In Photos: At DES 2025, India charts ambitious course for digital entertainment leadership

Dream Game Studios' founder and CEO, Rohit Gupta, has envisaged taking mobile cricket games globally. Speaking at Storyboard18’s Digital Entertainment Summit (DES) 2025, Gupta said, "Cricket is like a religion in India, but if you look at it from a fan's perspective, a big gap exists in the market. Cricket fans are not getting the experience they deserve compared to football, baseball, or basketball fans when it comes to entertainment". Therefore, a global recognition for the mobile cricket game is required. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/india-is-no-longer-just-a-consumer-we-are-global-storytellers-mos-l-murugan-at-storyboard18-des-2025-72114.htm">Read more: India is no longer just a consumer, we are global storytellers: MoS I&B Dr L Murugan at Storyboard18 DES 2025</a>

Further, Gupta shared his two key priorities: Solving the problems of the gaming industry and putting India on the global map in the booming sector.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/digital-adex-now-accounts-for-over-55-of-indias-me-spend-mib-secretary-sanjay-jaju-at-storyboard18-des-2025-72144.htm">Digital adex now accounts for over 55% of India’s M&E spend: MIB's Sanjay Jaju at Storyboard18 DES 2025</a>

Dream Game Studios is part of Dream Sports' portfolio brands that also includes Dream11. The studio developed Dream Cricket, a AAA mobile cricket game.

Recounting a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the WAVES Summit 2025, Gupta said the PM's curiosity and support for gaming were a motivation for the company to take their Dream Cricket global. "We have a mandate from the PM to go global. PM Modi told us since cricket is going to be in the Olympics, we should expand the reach of the mobile game worldwide," Gupta said.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/gaming-now-drives-indias-entertainment-economy-mib-secretary-sanjay-jaju-at-storyboard18-des-2025-72142.htm">Gaming now drives India’s entertainment economy: MIB Secretary Sanjay Jaju at Storyboard18 DES 2025</a>

Further, he said the government has often encouraged the mobile gaming industry and is reckoning on the sector. 

"The sports animation business is a high cost venture, but if the government had not supported startups like ours, it wouldn't have been possible".

Gupta underscored that the initiatives taken to upskill the youth in the gaming sector are crucial for both the central and state governments. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/india-is-no-longer-just-a-consumer-we-are-global-storytellers-mos-l-murugan-at-storyboard18-des-2025-72114.htm">India is no longer just a consumer, we are global storytellers: MoS I&B Dr L Murugan at Storyboard18 DES 2025</a>

Although Gupta is a computer science graduate, he learned about gaming in the US. During the DES Summit, he said, "When I wanted to build a game, I didn't have any pointers. I couldn't find a place to educate myself on gaming, so I had to go to the US, learn it, come back to India, and then start a gaming company".

However, over the past 15 years, there has been a significant improvement in the gaming industry, including the entry of the generative Artificial Intelligence. GenAI will revolutionize the gaming industry by reducing the development time, creating high-quality AAA games, and simplifying the complexities. 

He stressed that a lot of work is still required to put India on the global map so that more gaming owners, studios, and stakeholders continue to pin their hopes on the sector and achieve success. 

"The gaming industry is gradually picking up in the country. While there's no dearth of skill development, the lack of exposure is the real issue that needs to be resolved," Gupta added.

Currently, Dream Studio has millions of users. Gupta calls the figure a 'tip of the iceberg' as India has 400 million cricket viewers. While there's a huge opportunity for growth, a lot of work needs to be done from a product perspective, he said.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/gaming-needs-its-rrr-moment-experts-on-gaming-as-indias-next-soft-power-72175.htm">Gaming needs its ‘RRR' moment! Experts on gaming as India's next soft power</a>

"Once we achieve the product market in India, only then we can go global," Gupta stated.

He said India's gaming market is the opposite of its global counterparts-more user-centric and less focused on monetization. Though someday there will be a convergence between the two markets, Gupta said the company will ramp up efforts to achieve a strong product-market fit domestically.

For Dream Cricket, the average age of the user is 29. The gaming platform ranked second after Esports FIFA on the top-grossing charts on iOS. 

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/india-can-lead-in-avgc-but-industry-must-focus-on-finishing-skills-jayesh-ranjan-govt-of-telangana-at-storyboard18-des-2025-72123.htm">India can lead in AVGC, but industry must focus on 'finishing skills': Jayesh Ranjan, Govt of Telangana at Storyboard18 DES 2025</a>

"We ranked 2nd with 50% of the products, so if we had built it entirely, maybe, we would have been on top," he asserted.

Sports gaming is one of the most complex software to create, but the huge market size boosts aspirations. Besides, the sports games genre also has sustainable growth, according to Gupta.

Citing a comparison between Mario and FIFA, he said former's IP has almost disappeared, while the latter's remained formidable even after 35 years after its launch.

India is the second-largest gaming market in the world, with 23 million users added in fiscal year 2024 alone. The sector's compounded annual growth stands at 14.9%. Currently, the centre employs about 1 lakh people, which could go up to anywhere between 200,000 to 250,000 by 2029, and it has already seen $2.8 credit in funding over the last five years.

Dream Game Studios eyes global markets for mobile cricket games

The Tamil Nadu Online Gaming Authority (TNOGA) recently convened a key consultation meeting with gaming industry stakeholders to explore whether the broader video gaming sector should be brought under regulatory oversight. The discussions have sparked concerns among gaming companies and industry federations, which have warned that such a move could hamper innovation and derail growth in the sector.

The meeting was chaired by TNOGA Chairperson Md. Nasimuddin, IAS (Retd.), and included representatives from major industry associations such as the Game Developers Association of India (GDAI), the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF), the E-Gaming Federation (EGF), and the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS).

Though TNOGA had released its official regulations on "Real Money Games" in February 2024, it had previously left out the video games industry from its purview. However, with rising concerns about gaming addiction among minors and the resulting mental health challenges, authorities are reconsidering their stance.

According to sources close to the development, a recent TNOGA survey revealed significant levels of video game addiction among minors, primarily driven by alleged incessant in-app purchases and crimes committed by minors. These findings prompted TNOGA to solicit opinions from the gaming industry on whether regulatory measures should be extended to video games.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/gaming-is-indias-newest-storytelling-language-dynamic-interactive-and-immersive-mos-ib-dr-l-murugan-at-storyboard18-des-2025-72382.htm">Read More: Gaming is India’s newest storytelling language: dynamic, interactive, and immersive: MoS I&B Dr L Murugan at Storyboard18 DES 2025</a>

Industry leaders, however, voiced strong opposition. “We have suggested to TNOGA that regulating the video gaming industry will stifle the growth and innovation of this sunrise sector,” said one representative. “The industry is still nascent in India and needs encouragement, not barriers. Regulation could discourage investment and derail progress. Tamil Nadu should not look at video gaming and real money gaming industry from the same lens.”

Echoing the sentiment, a video game developer based in Bengaluru noted, “India is being seen as a major market for mobile gaming, especially in the casual segment. If TNOGA imposes regulations, it could create a domino effect, affecting innovation and India’s competitiveness in the global market.”

Psychological experts have highlighted the risks of excessive gaming. The American Psychological Association classifies ‘Internet Gaming Disorder’ as a condition that leads to social withdrawal, reduced educational or career focus, and negative mental health effects like depression and suicidal thoughts when gaming behavior is unchecked over a year.

Tamil Nadu IT Minister Dr. Palanivel Thiagarajan had emphasized that TNOGA reports to the Home Ministry, while the broader industry remains under the purview of the IT Department. He had acknowledged the overlap and assured stakeholders that clarity would soon be provided.

“We’ll clean up the gazette notifications and interpretations to ensure the focus remains on real money games,” Thiagarajan had told Storyboard18. “These are the teething pains of being a pioneer. As the first state to pass a law and set up such an authority, some iteration is expected before we get it right.”

Experts suggest that unnecessary regulation can slow down India's progress in becoming a global hub for game development. Countries like South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. have thrived by promoting innovation through supportive policies.

Another developer said, "Games are a form of digital storytelling and creative expression. Developers use gaming platforms to share Indian folklore, mythology, and regional narratives—making them vehicles for soft power. Like other digital industries, gaming can benefit from self-regulatory frameworks that encourage responsible gaming, age-appropriate content, and parental controls—without heavy-handed intervention." 

Dr. MC Sarangan, Member of TNOGA during Storyboard18 Digital Entertainment Summit had said, “The problem isn’t gaming. It’s excessive and compulsive gaming. We promote responsible gaming, and every action we take is based on research,” Sarangan said, outlining TNOGA’s core philosophy.

“Gaming, when used for entertainment or cognitive development, is valuable. But the moment it becomes compulsive, it becomes a problem... we must educate parents and teachers,” he said.

Sarangan issued a call to action: “We can’t fight this alone... This is a collective fight. Everyone: regulators, companies, media, and parents need to join in.”

It should be noted that the video games industry contributes significantly to the economy through job creation, exports, and domestic consumption. India’s gaming sector is projected to cross $3.5 billion by 2027, driven by rising smartphone penetration and affordable data rates.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/online-gaming-industry-needs-for-unified-law-amid-regulatory-patchwork-72223.htm">Read more: Online Gaming industry needs for unified law amid regulatory patchwork</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/gaming-news/tamil-nadu-issues-fresh-notices-real-money-gaming-companies-face-meity-blockade-67173.htm">Read More: Tamil Nadu issues fresh notices; Real money gaming companies face MeitY blockade</a>

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