GDAI expands leadership to deepen policy engagement across India’s games sector

• Leadership expansion aligns with GDAI’s Vision 2035 strategy.
• India’s games sector enters “inflexion point” as governance deepens.
• New appointments signal tighter industry and government alignment.

The Game Developer Association of India (GDAI) has expanded its executive leadership as it looks to strengthen governance and deepen policy engagement across the country’s games sector. 

The industry body has appointed Shruti Verma, who previously led Epic Games India operations, as its new chief executive officer. 

Meanwhile, Sean Hyunil Sohn, chief executive of Krafton India, has joined the GDAI board, while former Ministry of Information and Broadcasting secretary Apurva Chandra has been appointed advisor to the board.

The appointments come as India’s interactive entertainment market continues to expand and align with GDAI’s Vision 2035 strategy, which aims to position the country among the world’s leading game development hubs. 

Regional growth 

The plan focuses on strengthening talent pipelines through structured education and skilling, enabling studios to build globally competitive intellectual property rooted in Indian storytelling, and fostering stable, forward-looking regulatory frameworks.

“I am honoured to step into this responsibility at a pivotal moment for India’s videogaming ecosystem," said GDAI CEO Shruti Verma. “As we strengthen GDAI’s executive leadership at the Board level, our focus will be on building a cohesive, future-ready framework that aligns policy, industry, and innovation.”

Krafton India chief executive and GDAI member Sean Sohn commented: “India’s gaming sector stands at an inflexion point, with scale, talent, and innovation converging. 

“GDAI has helped create that momentum, and I look forward to supporting its efforts to deepen governance and strengthen India’s position in the global games industry.”