New Delhi | Jul 2026: In a landmark step towards positioning India as a global powerhouse in esports, gaming, and digital entertainment, the International Federation of Esports (IFES) and the Services Exports Promotion Council (SEPC), under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly promote India’s esports, gaming, AVGC-XR, and digital services ecosystem on the global stage.
The partnership marks a significant milestone in strengthening India’s service exports by leveraging the rapidly growing gaming and esports industry, while creating new opportunities for startups, technology companies, creators, investors, and skilled professionals.
Driving India’s Digital Export Vision
The MoU establishes a long-term framework for collaboration aimed at expanding India’s presence in the global digital economy. Both organizations will work together to promote exports of gaming, esports, animation, visual effects, comics, extended reality (XR), metaverse technologies, and digital content services.
The collaboration aligns with India’s vision of becoming a global innovation hub by encouraging international market access, attracting foreign investment, and showcasing Indian talent and technology to global audiences.
Key Areas of Collaboration
Under the agreement, IFES and SEPC will jointly undertake initiatives across multiple strategic areas, including:
- Promotion of India’s esports, gaming, AVGC-XR, and digital service exports.
- International trade missions, buyer-seller meets, and business matchmaking programs.
- Global gaming and esports exhibitions, investor summits, and industry forums.
- Promotion of Indian startups, studios, tournament organizers, and technology companies.
- International esports tournaments and cross-border business collaborations.
- Startup acceleration, women entrepreneurship, and youth innovation initiatives.
- Skill development, esports management training, certification programs, and research.
- Joint policy recommendations, market intelligence reports, and ecosystem studies.
- Creator economy development for streamers, influencers, and digital media professionals.
- International partnerships with governments, investment agencies, gaming federations, and trade organizations.
Strengthening India’s Position in the Global Gaming Economy
With the global gaming and esports industry witnessing unprecedented growth, the collaboration aims to enhance India’s competitiveness by enabling Indian companies to access international markets, establish strategic partnerships, and participate in global trade opportunities.
The partnership will also facilitate business networking, investment promotion, international delegations, and export-focused initiatives designed to strengthen India’s digital services sector.
Joint Working Group to Drive Implementation
To ensure effective execution of collaborative initiatives, IFES and SEPC will constitute a Joint Working Group (JWG) comprising representatives from both organizations. The committee will identify priority projects, develop annual action plans, monitor progress, and recommend new initiatives that contribute to India’s global leadership in esports and gaming services.
A Decade-Long Strategic Partnership
The Memorandum of Understanding has been signed, reflecting the long-term commitment of both organizations to building a sustainable, globally competitive esports and gaming ecosystem for India.
Speaking on the collaboration, Raj Sharma, President, International Federation of Esports (IFES), said:
“This partnership with the Services Exports Promotion Council represents a transformative step for India’s esports and gaming industry. Together, we aim to create international business opportunities for Indian companies, attract global investments, empower startups and creators, and establish India as a leading exporter of esports and digital services. The future of esports extends far beyond competition—it is an emerging economic sector with immense potential for innovation, employment, exports, and global collaboration.”
The collaboration is expected to significantly contribute to India’s ambitions of becoming a global leader in the digital economy while creating new opportunities across gaming, esports, animation, immersive technologies, digital content, and technology-driven services.
As the esports industry continues to evolve into a major economic and cultural force worldwide, the IFES–SEPC partnership sets the foundation for India’s next phase of growth in global digital trade, innovation, and technology leadership.
