Our Speakers of IGDC 2024
Abhijeeth Swaminathan
Visai Games
Abhijeeth Swaminathan
Visai GamesAbhi (He/Him) is a game designer from Toronto who released his first game, Venba in 2023 and now runs a small studio called Visai games. He wants to tell intimate stories with interesting mechanics and hopes to see more games made from around the world with their own unique perspectives.
Abhimanyu Kumar
Naavik
Abhimanyu Kumar
NaavikAbhimanyu Kumar with 11+ years games industry experience with stints at names like Disney, Zynga, Flaregames, and Deconstructor of Fun. In 2019, started Naavik, which is a research and consulting firm with a mission to enable games industry professionals to master the business of gaming. Naavik has served 250+ clients since its inception. Our seasoned team of games industry professionals have worked with game developers, publishers, financial institutions, and various platforms and providers across PC/Console, Mobile, Web3, UGC and other emerging industry verticals. Our project work includes market research, due diligence, corporate strategy, product, design, economy, UI/UX, marketing and more. We also have a newsletter (Naavik Digest) and podcast (Naavik Gaming Podcast) — both of which have grown to become industry leading knowledge hubs.
Abhinav V Chokhavatia
Zatun
Abhinav V Chokhavatia
ZatunAbhinav Chokhavatia, CEO and Founder of Zatun, brings over two decades of experience in the video game industry. As an entrepreneur, Abhinav has consistently demonstrated the ability to bring companies to market rapidly and sustainably, infusing world-class creativity into his ventures. In 2007, Abhinav founded Zatun with a vision to create a globally recognized brand in the video game industry. He strategically leveraged partnerships and bootstrapped the company from the ground up, transforming Zatun into a name synonymous with innovation and creativity. Zatun creates its IPs and performs work-for-hire with a talented team that has collaborated on leading game titles for global studios across various platforms. Under Abhinav's visionary leadership, Zatun has developed over 20 games across diverse platforms, including PC, web, mobile, PlayStation, and VR. The studio's titles, such as the award-winning; Down and Out; and; Sniper Rust, have received numerous accolades and global recognition, showcasing Zatun's diverse game development capabilities.
Abraham K
Ayelet Studio
Abraham K
Ayelet StudioAbraham spearheads the artistic direction and strategic initiatives of the Ayelet Studio, with a passion for Indian history and a vision for innovation, pushing the boundaries of storytelling and creativity. Under Abraham's leadership, Unsung Empires continues to captivate audiences with its compelling narratives and rich visual landscapes.
Adnaan Ebrahim
Wooga
Adnaan Ebrahim
Wooga
I am a Production and Product director currently based in Berlin, Germany. I've worked on free-to-play and premium titles across all stages of development (Wooga, Unity, Wargaming, Zynga, Reliance & more). I specialise in building and scaling teams across disciplines, cultures, and countries. Having worked in India, the US, Finland, and Germany, I've learned how not to do things in new and exciting ways. I hope to share some of those learnings so that others might learn from my very expensive mistakes.
Akash Dhangar
AA Gaming
Akash Dhangar
AA GamingAkash Dhangar, a passionate entrepreneur leading AA Gaming, an esports and tech company based in Pune, India. My business journey started early—at 14, I launched my first venture, and by 16, I was running a distribution business for candy brands like Perfetti and Cadbury in my region. Over the years, I’ve developed a strong foundation in finance and technology, fueled by my MBA in Finance and my deep interest in creating innovative products.
Akash Menon
Tulsea
Akash Menon
TulseaAkash heads gaming at Tulsea, a strategic talent and content management company, based in Mumbai and Los Angeles, that represents India's leading content creators. Tulsea is focused on supporting and enabling established talent while simultaneously nurturing promising young talent to become the stars of tomorrow and ensuring that creators are valued and treated fairly. Tulsea's clients are engaged in high-quality content across feature films, digital series, and emerging new media including Bombay Begums, Bad Boy Billionaires, A Suitable Boy, Delhi Crime, Lipstick Under My Burkha, Made in Heaven, Masaba Masaba, Mirzapur, Masaan, NH10, Paatal Lok, Sacred Games, Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, Shershaah, Ghoul, Chintu Ka Birthday, Udta Punjab, Uri: The Surgical Strike, The Sky is Pink, Margarita with a Straw and many more. The vision for Tulsea’s Gaming division was born out of a shared drive to represent developers who are passionate about creating premium, narrative-driven games with unique stories. Tulsea is focused on empowering game developers through a curated network of publishers, investors, and creative talent to craft an elevated narrative. Tulsea works with talented developers including UnderDogs Studios, 505 Games, Outlier Games, Uniplay Digital and Niku Games, to name a few. Tulsea is also currently partnering on Bharatvarsha / The Age of Bharat, a AAA gaming franchise set in ancient India, uniting author Amish Tripathi and game producer Nouredine Abboud. In addition to talent and content management, Tulsea also provides consultancy services to select media investment funds looking to identify opportunities in emerging markets.
Aldo V
Small World Games
Aldo V
Small World GamesAldo V. began his career as a Flash game developer, creating immersive room escape games for the web. Transitioning to the Unity Engine, he worked as a freelancer and developed a Hotwheels VR game for Neopolis in Mexico. His expertise expanded into Roblox game development at Small World Games, where he contributed to popular titles like Speed Duels and Death Ball. Currently, he is exploring the potential of Unreal Engine for Fortnite (UEFN), aiming to elevate studio game development with his versatile experience across multiple platforms
Ali Alharbi
UMX Studio
Ali Alharbi
UMX Studio
He created games with his team in UMX Studio that 80 million people played. It started in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2014. Alharbi Working in UMX Studio as founder & CEO Today (2024), UMX Studio has +70 experts in game development with three successful titles and 2.7 million active players.
Álvaro Fernández García
Scopely
Álvaro Fernández García
ScopelyHello! My name is Álvaro Fernández García, I’m passionate about graphic design and art, and I’m lucky to work in the world of video games. I’ve been designing and creating for more than twenty years, and have been fortunate enough to make great friends and work with inspiring teams on world-famous IPs like Star Wars and Frozen. Currently, I'm working as a UI Lead in Monopoly Go! where I'm enjoying the best team that I've ever worked with. I love graphic design, I love UI design, and I love finding the best solution for users.
Amishi Agrawal
Lex Chambers
Amishi Agrawal
Lex ChambersAmishi brings over six years of extensive experience in General Corporate and Advisory services, with a focus on supporting leading companies and platforms across sectors such as sports, e-sports, fantasy sports, gaming, media and entertainment, and NFTs. She specializes in legal advisory and comprehensive documentation, contributing to sports leagues and its respective stakeholders, foundations, governing bodies, celebrities, celebrity management agencies, sportspersons, athletes, coaches, and other organizations involved in fantasy sports. Her expertise includes dealing with contractual advisory, media management, gaming and betting advisory, athlete representation, risk management, commercial rights exploitation, drafting of rules, regulations, and bylaws, as well as handling investigations, disciplinary proceedings, sports broadcasting. Prior to working at Lex Chambers, Amishi was working at law offices of Shri Gaurang Kanth (now Hon’ble Justice Gaurang Kanth of Calcutta High Court) and Shri Dhanendra Kumar (Former Chairman, Competition Commission of India, Former Executive Director, The World Bank). Education: B.B.A. LL.B (Hons.) from Raffles University, School of Law, Neemrana. Practice Areas: General Corporate & Advisory.
Anand Ramachandran
Hitwicket
Anand Ramachandran
HitwicketOver 20 years of experience leading creative teams in game development, interactive entertainment, and storytelling. Creative Director for the Disney Byju's Early Learn App, the world’s largest game-based learning app for children aged 6-8. Shipped 20+ mobile titles for Indian and global audiences and led live operations for major social games like Mafia Wars, Hidden Chronicles, and Yoville. Creative Director on Dadi vs Jellies, winner of Game of the Year at IGDC 2015. Extensive experience creating games, comics, animation, and viral content for high-profile Indian clients. Widely published columnist on videogames and cricket satire in leading Indian publications and a published author of children’s comics with Scholastic and Disney.
Anando Banerjee
Lakshya Digital
Anando Banerjee
Lakshya DigitalAnando Banerjee has a proven track record of building and managing successful teams. Over the last 25 years, had deep experience of managing people, projects and operations to deliver best-in-class services to global customers. Since 2004, he played a key role in growing Lakshya from an eight member novice team to a world class studio that has nearly 700 employees and studios in Gurgaon, Pune, Bangalore, Seattle and Tokyo ... with more being added. Lakshya creates art for some of the world’s top game titles for developers in the US, Japan and Europe and is a part of the Keywords Studios. I head the production and operations for the India studios, and he also on the board of directors.
Animesh Agarwal
S8UL and 8Bit Creatives
Animesh Agarwal
S8UL and 8Bit CreativesAnimesh Agarwal is the Founder and CEO of 8Bit Creatives, as well as the founder of S8UL, the country’s leading Esports and gaming content organization. S8UL serves as the parent organization of IQOO SOUL, a leading Esports organization in India. Animesh dons several hats as an entrepreneur, an ex-pro gamer, a monster energy Esports athlete, and a gaming & luxury lifestyle content creator. As a pioneer in the Indian Gaming Industry, the 29-year-old has a deep understanding of the industry and is dedicated to shaping the business of Esports in India. His Company, 8Bit Creatives is also achieving remarkable milestones in content creation and brand collaborations within the gaming sector.
Anjali Sosale
WaterBridge Ventures
Anjali Sosale
WaterBridge VenturesAnjali Sosale is based in Bangalore and focuses on consumption and the gig economy. As a general partner at WaterBridge Ventures, she makes lead investments upto $3M at the seed stage, partnering early with founders and continuing to invest until Series C. WaterBridge's prominent consumer investments include Eloelo (A live video entertainment and gaming company), Chalo (Intra-city public mass mobility), Magicpin (India #1 savings app), CityMall (Tier 2 groceries via community).
Ankit Dhadda
Meta
Ankit Dhadda
MetaAnkit Dhadda is a digital marketing and product professional with over 15 years of experience across education, personal finance & media. He currently works in Meta focused on gaming and reality labs. Prior to Bloomberg|Quint, he was heading marketing for BigDecisions.com, a NewsCorp company in India and handling the digital portfolio for the education venture of the Times of India Group.
Ankit Garg
Zombie Art School
Ankit Garg
Zombie Art SchoolDriven by his passion for teaching and noticing a lack of depth in education, Ankit Garg founded Zombie Art School to equip students with specialized skills and discipline for excellence in 3D character art. Before this, Ankit also co-founded Little Red Zombies and served as Managing & Art Director for 12 years. With nearly two decades of experience in the 3D art industry, he has been the Art Director for over 40 game titles, including 25 AAA games such as Alan Wake 2, Ghost of Tsushima, Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League, Diablo 2 Resurrected, and Horizon Forbidden West.
Anuj Mankar
Nautilus Mobile
Anuj Mankar
Nautilus MobileAnuj is the CEO and Co-founder of Nautilus Mobiles as well as the creator of the leading award[1]winning mobile franchise – “Real Cricket”. He has worked across a plethora of roles such Game Designer, Producer, Creative Director and worked with industry heavyweights such as Gameloft in the past. He is a graduate of the University of Lincoln, UK with a honours degree in Computer Games Production.
Anuj Tandon
JetSynthesys Pvt. Ltd.
Anuj Tandon
JetSynthesys Pvt. Ltd.
Anuj is a gaming investor and CEO in the Indian gaming industry. Anuj has been a founder of an acquired startup. CEO of a MNC gaming company and more. He has deployed the largest amount of capital ($135 Million) in India for Gaming, esports & interactive media/AI via Krafton.
Anul Agarwal
Momo Games
Anul Agarwal
Momo GamesAnul Agarwal has been building games for the past 5 years with various teams, but only recently did he go indie/solo as a game developer who now builds web games and publishes them on multiple platforms. He is also an active content creator on LinkedIn and YouTube, where he shares his journey of making money in game development and my experience with other developers. His approach to building games is slightly different, where his focus is on validating the game ideas very early and then shipping fast.
Anupriya Sinha Das
Nazara Technologies
Anupriya Sinha Das
Nazara TechnologiesMs. Anupriya Sinha Das currently serves as the Head of Corporate Development at Nazara Technologies, heads Mergers & Acquisitions and Investor Relations since joining in June 2022. She holds a B.Tech from MNNIT, Allahabad, and a PGDBM from XLRI Jamshedpur, with a rich career spanning over 13 years across Private Equity, Investment Banking, and Consumer Technology. Previously, Anupriya led the Corporate Strategy team at Pocket Aces, focusing on M&A and fundraising. Her seven-year tenure in private equity with General Atlantic and Everstone Capital saw her oversee investments exceeding USD 300 million across diverse sectors, notably consumer and technology.
Anurag Choudhary
Felicity Games
Anurag Choudhary
Felicity GamesAnurag, Felicity's founder and CEO, is a second-time entrepreneur and seasoned operator with over a decade of leadership experience in scaling $100M+ categories at Swiggy and Snapdeal. Before Felicity, he was building Wakao, a gamified short video app that grew to 30k DAU. The insights he gained from Wakao in user acquisition and product led growth have been invaluable in building Felicity, a casual game publisher from India for the global market.
Apurva Shah
Duality AI
Apurva Shah
Duality AI
He is co-founder and CEO of Duality AI, where the team’s vision is to leverage virtual worlds for solving real problems. Duality’s Falcon platform provides digital twin simulation for the design and development of safe, predictable, and resilient smart systems. Customers include robotics and AI teams such as DARPA, the US Army and several Fortune 100 companies. This endeavor draws on Apurva’s prior roles as head of creative technology and design systems at Capital One, visual effects supervisor and member of the technical brain trust at Pixar, and SVP of global technology at Rhythm & Hues Studios. He is adjunct professor in the interaction design program at CCA and covers emerging technology topics such as Metaverse Design and Designing for Trust. He is a strategic advisor to Mumbai based real time technology studio, Green Rain. His film credits include Ratatouille, Shrek, Finding Nemo, and Toy Story 3.
Arjun Balaram
Electronic Arts
Arjun Balaram
Electronic ArtsArjun, a versatile GM and operations leader, has held several product and business leadership roles throughout his career in video games and semiconductors. At Electronic Arts, he has led teams on many beloved franchises including The Sims, Battlefield, Plants vs Zombies, and Bejeweled with an emphasis on profitable growth through live services, distributed development, and business model transformations. While he is currently based in Seattle, he used to lead EA’s mobile studio Slingshot Games in Hyderabad, and is well versed with the talent, opportunities, and growth of the gaming industry in India.
Arvind Neelakantan
Epic Game
Arvind Neelakantan
Epic GameArvind Neelakantan is the Solutions Architect for Epic Games with over 15 years of experience in the gaming industry. He is a full stack game developer and specializes in providing technical direction to game studios. He has held significant positions at companies such as Unity Technologies, Disney India, and Nickelodeon. Arvind's expertise lies in driving innovation, overseeing game development, and providing technology leadership in the gaming industry.
Ashutosh Sharma
MPL
Ashutosh Sharma
MPLAshutosh is a seasoned business professional with almost 2 decades of experience, he has led digital partnerships across the ecosystem and has worked with companies including Google, Apple, Nokia, Samsung and Gameloft in the past. He is a gamer and is deeply invested in the Indian digital services ecosystem
Ashwin Haryani
Ampverse DMI
Ashwin Haryani
Ampverse DMIA history of remarkable achievements and exemplary leadership marks Ashwin's illustrious journey in the gaming and esports domain. Driven by his passion for gaming, Ashwin co-founded GamingMonk, an Esports Community Platform that was one of the first esports platforms that rapidly gained popularity among Indian Gamers. While Gaming Monk thrived under his leadership and later it was acquired by MPL—and after a brief period of business consultation Ashwin joined at the helm of Ampverse's India operations while Ampverse DMI rolled out the most ambitious College Rivals, India’s biggest ever collegiate IP. As a visionary entrepreneur and tech enthusiast, Ashwin is committed to propelling India to a forefront position in the global esports arena. He believes in leveraging his extensive knowledge and network to foster environments where gaming talent can grow and succeed.
Avinash Pandey
LILA Games
Avinash Pandey
LILA Games
Over 16 years of experience in game development & entrepreneurship. Co-Founded my first startup right after college in 2008. I have been building apps and games since the initial days of the app store back in 2009. Have helped build more than 100 apps and games including Ninjump Dash and Mask Gun which got more than 50M downloads individually. Always pushing to build more ambitious games out of India. Co-Founded LILA Games in 2020 where we are building a multiplayer mobile extraction shooter "Project BLACK". An open world shooter with unique game design and art style. We have built a full tech and rendering stack from scratch. Aiming to have high quality game play experience on high end devices but also support low end phones (already support phones of cost $100)
Benjamin Carcich
Valarin, Inc. & Building Better Games
Benjamin Carcich
Valarin, Inc. & Building Better GamesBenjamin Carcich started his career as a military officer before shifting into game dev at Riot Games working on League of Legends. He spent over 8 years there, starting in associate production roles and eventually advancing to director roles He left Riot to start a consultancy in 2020, realizing that his ability to change the industry through better leadership would be best realized independently. He’s been supporting individual producers, game studios, and publishers ever since. Ben spent time on League post-launch (2011-2017) and was on Valorant while it was in R&D. Ben is a certified co-active coach and official ICAgile trainer. He’s been teaching concepts around Agility, Production, and Game Development Leadership since 2015. He hosts the Building Better Games podcast and newsletter and has spoken at multiple events including GDC 2024.
Biplove Belwal
NukeBox Studios Pvt Ltd
Biplove Belwal
NukeBox Studios Pvt LtdBiplove is the founder and CEO of Nukebox Studios, which is India's top gaming studio- self-funded, profitable and acclaimed. Specializing in F2P, casual mobile games for women audiences globally, NBS has self-published hits like 'Food Truck Chef' (LTR $18M, so far) and has collaborated on AAA title with Nickelodeon on 'SpongeBob Krusty Kickoff' (LTR $38M, so far). Powered by a team of 25 passionate members, the full-stack studio has been winning global awards, including 'Game of the Year 2017' and 'Users Choice Award 2020' across 34+ countries. NBS has been showcasing Indian Talent at the World Stage in GDC-US, Gamescom Lat Am, Gamescom Koln and is about to launch some very exciting titles.
Bryce Johnson
Microsoft
Bryce Johnson
MicrosoftBryce is an inclusive designer for Microsoft Windows + Devices where he is devoted to ensuring Microsoft products are accessible. Bryce initiated and designed the Inclusive Tech Lab at Microsoft, which has now hosted over sixteen thousand visitors; it is a facility where people can explore how people with disabilities interact with Microsoft products and services. He strives to design systems of accessibility enhancement, like the Surface Adaptive Kit, across our devices. Bryce is one of the inventors of the Xbox Adaptive Controller and a proud member of the Microsoft Adaptive Accessories team.
Chaitanya Chinchlikar
Whistling Woods International
Chaitanya Chinchlikar
Whistling Woods InternationalChaitanya has had a multi-faceted 2-decade career in the Film, Media & Entertainment industry. He is currently at Whistling Woods International - India’s premier Film & Creative Arts institute, in the capacity of Vice President & Business Head. He also serves as the Chief Technology Officer for the institute and heads its Emerging Media initiatives. He has received several awards & much acclaim for his work, including the much-coveted SMPTE Excellence in Education Medal 2024. He currently serves on several public policy & innovation bodies - namely as CEO of India’s National Centre of Excellence for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics & Extended Reality (NCOE-AVGCXR), established by the Government of India and on the Executive Committee of India’s Media & Entertainment Skills Council (MESC).
Chirag “Tito” Morab
Ubisoft Montreal
Chirag “Tito” Morab
Ubisoft MontrealChirag Morab, also known as “Tito” is a Graphics Technical Director at Ubisoft Montreal. Originally from Bangalore, Tito’s foray into game development began in 2008, after which he moved to Canada to pursue his Master’s in Computer Games Technology. He has since worked in the industry at companies like Gameloft, Ludia/Jam City and Ubisoft to ship successful titles with world-renowned IPs including Jurassic World, Disney and Rainbow Six. Specializing in Graphics and Technical Art over the past 8 years, Tito has been pivotal in merging artistic vision with technical capabilities. He played an important part at Ludia, defining Tech-Art roles for the organization and leading rendering discussions with Unity’s enterprise support. A passionate community contributor, Tito frequently mentors upcoming game developers and participates in events like Gamedev.in’s Campfire. Outside of work, he enjoys dabbling with Shadertoy, geeking out about mechanical watches, and savoring fine gin!
Chirag Chopra
Lucid Labs
Chirag Chopra
Lucid LabsWith over a decade devoted to the gaming industry, Chirag Chopra heads an indie game studio named Lucid Labs based in India. Lucid Labs started in 2015 and quickly built up a reputation for quality and ingenuity based on its award-winning range of imaginative games, such as 'Possessions' on Apple Arcade and the newly launched UGC puzzler 'Bloom.' A desire to push the medium has earned him global recognition and accolades, including six 'Game of the Year' awards, a live featurette at WWDC Keynote, a '40-under-40' Achiever Award, and over a dozen nominations. Embracing the ethos of collective growth, Chirag also leads the Indian IGDA Chapter and finds joy in empowering the community through mentorship and initiatives.
Chirag Sanghani
Google Cloud India
Chirag Sanghani
Google Cloud IndiaChirag Sanghani is an accomplished technology leader with over two decades of experience in the tech industry. He currently leads Google Cloud's Media and Gaming business in India, where he is responsible for driving growth and innovation in the sector. He is passionate about helping businesses in Gaming leverage the power of technology to transform their operations and drive growth that includes, using AI/ML to create more immersive and personalized gaming experiences, automate game processes, and enhance decision-making for both players and developers. Leverage cloud technology for scalable, reliable, and cost-effective game development and hosting, improving efficiency and agility. Harness the power of player data to gain insights into player behavior, preferences, and trends, enabling the creation of new and improved
Chris Smith
BIGR Social
Chris Smith
BIGR SocialA 16-year veteran of the gaming & esports industry, Chris started as a semi-professional player and subsequently worked in every facet of the industry including PR & marketing, journalism, game commentary, player management and much more. He recently ran a global marketing agency from 2018-2022 which included running the world’s largest VR esports event in Miami among servicing client in gaming, esports, crypto and tech. Since this he co-founded an AI startup called BIGR Social that wholly automates social media for small business and joined LMTLSS, the world’s largest CS map maker with over 1.7 billion rounds played across published maps.
D. SRIDHAR BABU
Government of Telangana
D. SRIDHAR BABU
Government of TelanganaMr. D. Sridhar Babu is an Indian politician from Indian National Congress and is a member of the Telangana Assembly. He is a senior Minister in the Telangana Government holding the crucial portfolios of Information Technology, Electronics & Communication, Industry & Commerce and Legislative Affairs.
Damini Pawha
Appsoleut Games
Damini Pawha
Appsoleut GamesDamini, is the CEO and Co-Founder of Appsoleut Games, an independent mobile games studio that is passionate about vehicle based games and expertises in developing real-life driving simulation games with large 3D open worlds. With a focus on business development, collaborations and marketing, Damini has steered Appsoleut Games to reach millions of users, creating captivating gaming experiences that resonate globally. Her expertise has equipped her with a deep understanding of the industry’s dynamics and trends. Beyond her executive role, Damini is a dedicated advocate for advocate for gender diversity in gaming and helping increase female representation in gaming. As a Chapter Lead for Women In Gaming, an initiative by IGDC, she collaborates with other accomplished women in the field to open doors for aspiring female professionals. Her dedication to fostering inclusivity and empowering young women has led her to speak at numerous events and to mentor aspiring female talent, driving positive change for a more diverse future in the industry. Her efforts reflect her vision for a more diverse and inclusive gaming industry, where diverse voices and perspectives can thrive and innovate.
Dayanidhi M G
Electronic Arts
Dayanidhi M G
Electronic ArtsDayanidhi is a veteran in the gaming industry with 3xGM and 3xenterpreneural experience. He has built and led studios of 300+ people. In his long career in gaming, he has managed over 100 games of different sizes and genres. In his illustrious career in gaming, he has worked on and witnessed evolution of gaming making its debut on feature phones, iphone, android, Facebook etc. Right from porting of games on J2ME/BREW to AI/ML based games, he has got a ring side view and hands-on experience. In his current role, he leads a talented team of over 300 game crafters at Electronic Arts touching majority of the games in the portfolio of EA Mobile.
Deepak Choudhary
EVA Live
Deepak Choudhary
EVA LiveDeepak Choudhary, a serial entrepreneur and influential leader in India’s events and experiential industry, has over two decades of pioneering contributions. Known as the “IP Man of India,” he has been instrumental in creating industry-leading platforms and intellectual properties. Currently, as Founder and Managing Director of Eva Live, Deepak has built and nurtured major event IPs like Bollywood Music Project, Windmill Festival, and Social Nation. His production expertise spans live concerts and tours for top artists, both in India and the Middle East. Upcoming tours under Eva Live include Arijit Singh and Bryan Adams, further cementing his role as a key promoter of global entertainment in the region.
Deepen Parikh
Courtside Ventures
Deepen Parikh
Courtside Ventures
Deepen Parikh is a Partner at Courtside Ventures, one of the leading early-stage VC funds focused on gaming and sports. They are backed by several professional sports team owners, public corporations and industry executives. Since launching Courtside Ventures in 2016, they have invested in over 100+ companies globally. Though US-focused, Courtside has invested internationally in high-growth markets including India, Brazil, across Europe and parts of the MENA region. Select investments include The Athletic, StockX, Winzo, Eloelo, 100 Thieves and Beam. Sitting at the intersection of the rapidly growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and the broader sports, fitness technology industry, Deepen also serves an Independent Board Director at 24 Hour Fitness, one of the largest gym corporations in the US. Previously, Deepen was a Partner at Interplay Ventures, an early-stage technology incubator and investor, where he was part of launching/building 15+ companies and investing in another 12 companies. Deepen started his career as an Associate at UBS Financial Services. He recently relocated to Dubai with his wife and three children
Derek Ham
Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center
Derek Ham
Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology CenterDerek Ham is the Director of Carnegie Mellon’s Entertainment Technology Center. He is an award-winning VR director, design educator, and immersive storyteller. In his research, he continues to investigate both virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology to find ways these tools can expand the way we work, play, and learn. His most notable projects “I Am A Man” and “Barnstormers: Determined to Win” both share a special focus on the use of virtual reality as a tool for the empathetic storytelling of African American history.
Devesh Mishra
Betide Studio
Devesh Mishra
Betide StudioDevesh Mishra is a game developer with over seven years of experience in Unreal Engine. As the founder of Betide Studio, Devesh and his team have developed a range of open-source tools and plugins, including the Steam Integration Kit, PlayFab Integration Kit, and EOS Integration Kit (EIK). Betide thus far has supported over 10,000 developers with their plugins, which have been used in more than 200 released projects. Devesh is passionate about advancing game development and supporting the developer community, and continues to work on new Unreal Engine projects at Betide.
Dr Anbuthambi B
L&T Edutech
Dr Anbuthambi B
L&T EdutechDr. B. Anbuthambi is a seasoned leader with 25+ years in Education, Skilling, EdTech, and Technology. Currently the Head of Strategy & Partnerships at L&T EduTech, he leads strategy, partnerships, marketing, and product incubation. As former President of ICT Academy, he transformed it into one of India’s largest PPP social enterprises focused on bridging the industry-academia skill gap. He has a Bachelor’s in Computer Application, an MBA, and a PG Diploma from XLRI, Jamshedpur, ranking third in his batch, along with a PhD in Management focused on employability skills. A recipient of the ‘Power to Empower’ award by NSDC and CII, Dr. Anbuthambi is recognized for fostering collaboration across Industry, Academia, and Government to cultivate talent. An active member of Governing and Academic Councils at prominent Indian institutions, he is also a published author and a sought-after speaker, having delivered talks on education, skill development, and the future of work on over 500 platforms.
Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan
Government of Tamil Nadu
Dr Palanivel Thiaga Rajan
Government of Tamil NaduDr. Palanivel Thiaga Rajan is the Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services in the Tamil Nadu Government. He previously served as the Minister for Finance and Human Resources Management. During his tenure as Finance Minister, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu nominated Dr Rajan to the Goods & Service Tax Council (GST Council) to represent the Government of Tamil Nadu. Dr Rajan was also a member of the Group of Ministers (GoM) on System Reforms (standing committee) and Taxation Reforms for Casinos, Race Courses, and Online Gaming. Before entering Politics, Dr Rajan worked as an International Investment Banker for over 20 years. He held senior leadership roles at Lehman Brothers in New York and Standard Chartered in Singapore. Dr Rajan holds a B.Tech from NIT, Trichy, MS in Operations Research & PhD in Human Factors Engineering/Engineering Psychology) from the State University of New York and an MBA in Financial Management from MIT Sloan School of Management.
Dr. Ir. Rob Tieben
Games for Health
Dr. Ir. Rob Tieben
Games for HealthRob Tieben is a designer, researcher, entrepreneur and director. He has a PhD in ‘behaviour change through play’, and is co-founder of a group of companies (Games for Health). Games for Health works to make 1 billion people happy and healthy using the power of play, interaction and technology. Rob enjoys cooperating with experts, scientists, healthcare professionals, patients and families. Together with partners, he designs and implements scalable health solutions that truly change a person’s life. These solutions are implemented world-wide in hospitals and homecare, through start-ups, scale-ups and partnerships.
Dr. Menno Deen
Super Menno Monster & Games for Health
Dr. Menno Deen
Super Menno Monster & Games for HealthDr. Menno van Pelt-Deen is a Design Researcher who explores game design in unique contexts, such as swimming pools, therapeutic sessions, and forests. He collaborates with professionals, students, and non-game developers, building bridges between industries, disciplines, and people. His work fosters the inclusion of new perspectives and domains in the game development industry, promoting honest dialogue amongst players.
Dr. Varudhini Kankipati
Inner-Connect
Dr. Varudhini Kankipati
Inner-ConnectDr. Varudhini Kankipati, Ph.D. is a practicing psychologist who specializes in individual, marriage, family and group psychotherapy, working with children, adolescents, and adults. She is Co-founder of Inner-Connect psychological counseling center and is currently a counsellor for NALSAR University of Law and has over 22 years of professional counselling experience in India, U.S.A and Canada. Dr. Kankipati is an experienced therapist with extensive knowledge of behavioral health illnesses and symptoms management through a combination of therapy and medication. She follows a holistic treatment/team approach and has much experience with CBT, Gestalt, REBT etc working in conjunction with child therapists, psychiatrists, schools’, hospitals’ and other support staff. Her treatment philosophy is influenced by her belief in the importance of treating patients through a systems perspective. In addition, she advocates and practices community based models of intervention in dealing with social issues and behavioral health issues.
Dr.B.L.Lakshmi Meera
Forge Innovation & Ventures
Dr.B.L.Lakshmi Meera
Forge Innovation & VenturesMeera is a dynamic catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship with a wealth of experience spanning technology, business, entrepreneurship, manufacturing, and research. With over two decades of diverse expertise, she has uncovered a profound insight—the vast innovative potential and technological prowess within the youth of the nation remain largely untapped. Her interests span a wide spectrum, from designing programs and processes that cultivate a dynamic and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem to formulating transformative policies and programs for institutions, industry, and government. Her passion lies in cultivating robust relationships and expansive networks across the country to actualise her vision of scaling the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem for transformative growth. At present, she spearheads the design, operations, and overall execution of Innovation Products, Projects, and Programs at Forge. In this pivotal role, she leads the implementation of a portfolio of innovation programs - exemplary initiatives that unite academia, industry, and government in an open-innovation platform.
Druhin Mukherjee
Godspeed Games
Druhin Mukherjee
Godspeed GamesOver 18+ industry experience, Druhin Mukherjee is the Co-founder and CTPO at GodSpeed Games. He was the first Indian to win a video game International BAFTA in the year 2012. Battle Legion, a game published by Godspeed Games is currently live on the Play Stores on Google and Apple. Over the years he was also awarded the Asia Pacific 30 Under 30 in 2013 and AVGC 40 Under 40 in 2023. Godspeed Games has worked over 500+ games over the period of 10 years across Consoles, PC, and Mobile. He is currently also helping with the country's AVGC-XR policies.
Duncan Campbell
Roblox
Duncan Campbell
RobloxDuncan Campbell is currently a Senior Developer Program Manager for Roblox on the Developer Relations Community team, responsible for the growth of the developer, publisher and user communities. He’s been in the games industry for over a decade with experience in partnerships, content, marketing, media, community management and development having worked at companies such as EA, Ubisoft, and HTC Vive, and more.
Esra Krabbe
IGN Japan
Esra Krabbe
IGN JapanFull-time video game journalist at IGN JAPAN since 2016. I specialize in the Japanese video game industry as well as adventure games with a high emphasis on interactive storytelling. Born in the Netherlands in 1987 but based in Japan since 2004. Previously a karate instructor and backpacker. For the last five years I’ve been working on an unannounced indie game as well.
Eva Vonk
TALES
Eva Vonk
TALESEva Vonk is the CEO of TALES, a nonprofit international multimedia initiative. With a diverse background in cinema and advertising, Eva’s work has appeared in major media outlets such as The New York Times, NPR, BBC Radio, PBS News Hour and more. Her work is committed to leveraging media for positive impact and cultural preservation, emphasizing multidisciplinary approaches and co-creation methods. Eva is focused on developing narratives that both entertain and foster social awareness, particularly highlighting authentic and indigenous stories.
Ganesh S
Edrevel
Ganesh S
EdrevelA Learning & Workforce Development Strategist, with over 27 years’ experience in leading and managing multiple businesses verticals specializing in Technology enabled Education & Skill Development. An IIMC graduate and qualified Independent Director from Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI), he currently leads, Product Strategy for Technogems Inc. as its Director. He is also actively associated as a Board of Studies member with several educational institutions apart from being a member of Skill Development council of FICCI, Academic Convener of Experiential Technology Council, XTIC - IIT Madras. A large part of his career has been on Skill Development and Technology enabled scalable learning models. As a passionate learner, trainer and coach, he loves engaging with the students, faculties and budding entrepreneurs. He has done several certifications in the areas of coaching & mentoring new age entrepreneurs and businesses, notable among them are from Wharton School of Business, Case Western Reserve University, University of Maryland, University of Toronto, etc. A Gamification & Game based teaching specialist conducts Faculty Development workshops on Teaching and Learning process for Higher Education faculties.
Gangatharaprabu Ganesan
Gaming Glance Digital Experience Pvt Ltd.
Gangatharaprabu Ganesan
Gaming Glance Digital Experience Pvt Ltd.Prabu is currently leading the Gaming product for Glance and building a Gen AI based gaming platform that can operate on different smartphone surfaces. He has been working in gaming for the past decade in different capacities. In the past, he has worked across different lifecycles of games and has created and managed more than 15 titles across different genres like Casual, Simulation, Social Casino, 4X strategy and mid-core games, across Android, iOS, Facebook and other web platforms.
Gaurav Mathur
Epic Games
Gaurav Mathur
Epic GamesGaurav is currently working as a Solutions Architect at Epic Games, drawing on over two decades of experience in CG Content Creation for Motion Pictures, TV, and Games. His diverse background includes roles in both artistic and technical capacities at Animagic, Rhythm & Hues, Dreamworks Animation, Animal Logic, Double Negative, and, most recently, The Mill, where he served as the Head of 3D.
Gaurav Ranjan
Prime Venture Partners
Gaurav Ranjan
Prime Venture PartnersGaurav is an operator turned investor and has been investing in early stage technology startups over the last 6+ years. Before becoming an investor Gaurav spent over 4 years working with early stage consumer-tech startups where he was instrumental in their 0-1 journey. Currently he leads investments in gaming companies among other things at Prime Ventures.
Gayatri Thaman
Yesgnome
Gayatri Thaman
YesgnomeGayatri is an accomplished product management professional with over 15 years of experience in the gaming industry. As the Product Head at Yesgnome, she has played a pivotal role in driving product strategy, overseeing end-to-end product development, and aligning cross-functional teams to achieve business goals. Throughout her career, Gayatri has managed strategic initiatives that have enhanced user experience, optimized product performance, and incorporated art and design to create visually engaging, user-friendly products, as well as innovative AI-driven solutions. Gayatri’s leadership style focuses on collaboration, innovation, and data-driven decision-making to create successful products that resonate with users and deliver value to the business. Her approach ensures products meet market demands, maintain high aesthetic and functional standards, and foster long-term growth.
Geetika Sharma
Visceral Technologies
Geetika Sharma
Visceral TechnologiesGeetika Sharma is a seasoned XR expert with over a decade of experience in industry research labs. Holding a master's degree in Mathematics and a Ph.D. in Image-based Rendering, her work spans XR, cloud computing, and visual analytics. Geetika's research has yielded innovative tools, including an enterprise metaverse for distributed teams and a cutting-edge visual analytics platform for multi-sensor data. Geetika co-founded and served as CTO of a tech startup leveraging XR and 3D printing to create immersive experiences for tangible and intangible heritage. Currently, she lends her expertise to data analytics and AI for game production.
Gnana Shekar
Skyesports
Gnana Shekar
SkyesportsGnana Shekar, Chief Marketing Officer at Skyesports, is a pioneering leader in Indian esports with over 15 years of experience. His contributions span innovative marketing, policy advocacy, and entrepreneurship, driving Skyesports' growth and positioning it as India’s leading IP and community builder in gaming and esports. Under his leadership, Skyesports has successfully launched and promoted over 25 IPs, both in India and internationally.
Hanif Mohammed Marakkarackayil
Asian institute of Design
Hanif Mohammed Marakkarackayil
Asian institute of DesignHanif as the co-founder of India’s leading gaming institute, the Asian Institute of Design (AID), I have been guiding its transformation from AIGA, India’s first dedicated gaming institute, into a full-fledged design hub. With years of experience founding educational institutions like Middle East College and Integral Solutions in Muscat, Oman. I’ve found myself at the heart of where industry meets academia. My passion lies in creating pathways for experiential learning and building a pedagogy that enhances employability in the ever-evolving design world of work.
Himanshu Manwani
Xigma Games
Himanshu Manwani
Xigma GamesA passionate gamer with over a decade of experience in crafting and developing games. Founder, Producer, Designer at Xigma Games, one of India's premier indie game development studios. Specializing in developing multiplatform games on creative, original, and innovative ideas for the global market. Leading a team of passionate gamers with a mission to put India on the global map of game development.
Hrishi Oberoi
Photon Tadpole Studios
Hrishi Oberoi
Photon Tadpole StudiosHrishi is a Video Games developer with several years experience in the video game industry, both as an external employee and contractor. I have shipped titles for 3D and Android and have contributed to mobile apps on many different platforms. My specialties are designing assets and implementing features, including but not limited to gameplay, UI, mechanics and AI. My passion is creating interactive experiences that are both fun and challenging to play, and I love working with talented people on projects that I can bring to life
Hugo Obi
Maliyo Games
Hugo Obi
Maliyo GamesHugo Obi is the visionary Founder & CEO of Maliyo Games, a driving force in the African gaming industry. He's passionate about sharing authentic African stories through captivating mobile games, pushing boundaries and redefining what's possible. With an eye for talent and a leadership style that fosters high-performing teams, Hugo inspires both his colleagues and the burgeoning community of aspiring game professionals he supports through the GameUp Africa initiative. A master at balancing creativity and strategy, Hugo's dedication has established him as a pioneer and a role model in the field. He's not just a public speaker and trendsetter; he's a game-changer who empowers others to achieve their dreams. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Hugo remains a curious explorer and a natural teacher, sharing knowledge with infectious enthusiasm and a dash of quick wit. His approachable nature and passion for gaming make him a true inspiration. Hugo Obi is more than a CEO; he's shaping the future of African gaming, one game at a time.
Hussam Hammo
Tamatem Games
Hussam Hammo
Tamatem GamesHussam is the CEO and founder of Tamatem Games. Tamatem is the leading mobile games publisher in the MENA region, with over 150 million game downloads, 3 million monthly active users, and over 50 published games. Tamatem partners with international game developers worldwide to bring the best mobile games and entertainment to the Arabic-speaking world. Hussam launched Tamatem in 2013 with the sole purpose of creating games that were in the native language and culture of the Arab region. Early in his entrepreneurial career, Hussam realized the massive lack of Arabic content available online and more so in the world of mobile games. With the launch of Tamatem Games, Hussam’s pursuit of entertaining people with content that they can relate to and more importantly understand began.
Imtiaz Hussain
YesGnome
Imtiaz Hussain
YesGnomeImtiaz Hussain is the Co-founder & COO of YesGnome, a leading mobile gaming company from Hyderabad, India. He has worked with leading IP owners in the entertainment industry like Fox, Cartoon Network, CBS Interactive, Dreamworks etc., to build chart topping games for YesGnome. He is the core council member of India Developer Game Conference, biggest game developer conference in India and also a member of the management committee of IMAGE incubator, exclusive program for gaming companies.
Inderpal Singh
Moonfrog Labs
Inderpal Singh
Moonfrog LabsInderpal has over 12+ years experience in the gaming industry and leads Moonfrog in its vision to build superior gaming experiences. With a passion for product, engineering and being an avid gamer himself, he has been instrumental in Moonfrog's success in becoming a market leader for games like Ludo & Teenpatti, which are India's leading games in the board & card game genre. Other than playing games, he is a sports enthusiast, loves watching Cricket & enjoys cycling in his free time.
Ishma Mahajan
Lakshya Digital
Ishma Mahajan
Lakshya DigitalCurrently leading content : social media, and marketing at Lakshya Digital. With a background as a Film Curator and indie film producer, I’m passionate about visual storytelling, with expertise in creating and curating engaging content that builds loyal online communities.
Ivan Karpinsky
Azur Games
Ivan Karpinsky
Azur Games10+ years living in China, most of which were spent on Business Development in Mobile Internet and Mobile Games Industry. Currently working on bringing Chinese mobile games to overseas market. Games genre vary from hypercasual to mid-core, including sub-genres like io, idle, HOMA, FPS, horror, adventure, economic simulators, SLG etc.
Jackson Vaughan
Konvoy
Jackson Vaughan
KonvoyJackson Vaughan is a Managing Partner at Konvoy, an early stage venture capital fund dedicated to the video gaming industry. Konvoy invests in platforms and technologies such as Sky Mavis (Axie Infinity), Edgegap, Gamefam, and Carry1st to name a few. Prior to Konvoy, Jackson was a software developer within IBM's Watson AI and machine learning group.
Jaeho Hwang
MINTROCKET
Jaeho Hwang
MINTROCKETJaeho Hwang is the Game Director of Dave the Diver at MINTROCKET. He has left his mark on games of unique and fulfilling quality, from his first-pixel art mobile action game, , in 2017 to one of the biggest hits of 2023, . His profound passion for subculture also led him to create in 2019.
James Batchelor
GamesIndustry.biz
James Batchelor
GamesIndustry.bizJames Batchelor is Editor-in-Chief at GamesIndustry.biz and co-host of the GI Microcast. A journalist since 2006, he was previously editor of Develop and deputy editor of MCV, and has also written for Eurogamer, TechRadar Time Extension, and NintendoLife. He is the author of The Best Non-Violent Video Games, as well as urban fantasy thrillers Wandless and Blow The House Down, and creator of Non-Violent Game of the Day (@NVGOTD) - an account that explores the full breadth of video games. Based in Essex, he does still play violent games (but always on Easy/Story Mode).
Jasmeet Singh
Nukebox Studios
Jasmeet Singh
Nukebox StudiosJasmeet has been immersed in the digital space for about two decades, with a particular focus on free-to-play (F2P) mobile gaming. His experience spans roles at Reliance and Gameloft, where he managed games that amassed over 200 million downloads. Currently, he is spearheading all product initiatives at Nukebox Studios.
WELCOME TO
SPEAKERS OF IGDC 2024 IGDC 2024 will showcase a diverse range of carefully selected speakers, including industry experts, thought leaders, and innovators. Attendees can anticipate engaging solo presentations, interactive panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and in-depth master classes. We welcome you to join us for this event.