GDAI Bolsters Leadership with Key Appointments to Drive Governance and Global Growth

Mumbai: The Game Developer Association of India (GDAI), the apex body representing India’s videogaming ecosystem, has expanded its executive leadership to strengthen governance and policy engagement amid rapid industry growth. The association appointed Shruti Verma as Chief Executive

Officer, inducted Sean (Hyunil) Sohn to its Board, and named Apurva Chandra as Advisor to the Board.

The appointments bring together global industry expertise and senior policy experience at a time when India’s interactive entertainment sector is expanding swiftly. Verma’s move from leading Epic Games India operations to heading GDAI comes ahead of International Women’s Day, underscoring the growing presence of women in senior leadership roles within India’s technology and gaming ecosystem. The leadership expansion builds on GDAI’s existing core team, including Manish Agarwal, Manvendra Shukul, Nitish Mittersain, Rajan Navani, Rajesh Rao, and Sridhar Muppidi.

The announcement aligns with GDAI’s Vision 2035, an industry-first roadmap aimed at positioning India among the world’s top game development hubs. The strategy focuses on structured education and skilling to strengthen talent pipelines, enabling Indian studios to create globally competitive intellectual property rooted in innovation and storytelling, and collaborating with the government to establish a stable, future-ready regulatory framework.

Emphasising regulatory clarity, Chandra said, “India has taken important steps in shaping the AVGC policy to support the video games sector. I look forward to contributing to clear, enabling regulatory frameworks that provide stability for industry while advancing India’s global competitiveness.”

Sohn added, “India’s gaming sector stands at an inflection 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.”

On assuming her new role, Verma said, “I am honoured to step into this responsibility at a pivotal moment for India’s videogaming ecosystem. 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.”

With a strengthened leadership team and a newly appointed Governing Council overseeing operations, GDAI said it remains committed to building a globally competitive, innovation-led, and responsibly governed videogaming ecosystem as India emerges as one of the world’s fastest-growing gaming markets.