AI gaming takes centre stage at India AI Impact Summit 2026
New Delhi: As the AI Impact Summit 2026 kicked off in India on Monday, the focus shifted dramatically from regulation to reinvention. Artificial intelligence-powered gaming took centre stage, not just as a side theme but as a defining frontier, highlighting India’s ambitious move from a large consumer base to a global hub for AI-driven innovation and creation.
A standout panel titled “The New Gold Rush: Investing in India’s AI-Powered Gaming Future,” organised alongside the Game Developers Association of India, showcased how gaming is evolving beyond entertainment into a vital strategic sector. It now encompasses AI research, skill development, entrepreneurship, and investment. The Indian government’s announcement that five innovative startups will demonstrate cutting-edge AI gaming tech at the summit underscores burgeoning institutional support. These companies represent a vibrant, interconnected ecosystem of AI-native interactive platforms.
Yesgnome’s Sketly AI tackles one of game development’s biggest time-consuming tasks—creating artistic assets. It produces ready-to-use character designs, environments, and animations, while allowing studios to train AI on their unique visual styles. This shift toward specialised AI tools signals a maturing gaming landscape in India.
Meanwhile, Metasports is combining generative AI with its popular multiplayer cricket platform, Hitwicket. With over 18 million users, the platform’s AI-driven commentary analyses live gameplay, creates contextual narration, and converts it into voice output. This innovation promises a new era of personalised, immersive sports experiences rooted in India’s cricket-loving culture.
Koyozo is revolutionising mobile gaming hardware with its Koyozo One device, transforming smartphones into console-quality gaming systems. Features like intelligent button mapping, performance analytics, and custom setups make gaming more accessible and align perfectly with India’s mobile-first gaming scene, where affordability fuels growth.
Youth Buzz’s Ourcadium platform offers an exciting “Man vs. GPT” format in which players compete against adaptive AI. It highlights real-time decision-making and behavioural learning, making complex AI concepts more tangible and showcasing India’s bold experiments in immersive entertainment.
Evivve’s Enterprise Cognitive AI Readiness Tool broadens the scope of gaming into enterprise transformation. Using neuroscience-based frameworks and live executive simulations, it demonstrates how gaming technologies can prepare leaders for AI integration in the workplace.
In a collective message, officials emphasised that these innovations signal more than isolated successes—they point to a flourishing ecosystem where gaming becomes a testing ground for generative AI, immersive tech, and adaptive systems. Historically, gaming has driven major technological breakthroughs—from graphics to networking—and India is now poised to position AI as the next big frontier.
However, experts caution that unlocking this potential depends on clear policies, responsible AI frameworks, intellectual property protections, and access to capital. Without these supports, early gains may not lead to lasting global competitiveness.
The government also highlighted its commitment to building an inclusive AI ecosystem. By emphasising accessibility, affordability, and development outcomes, India aims to foster an innovative yet balanced approach. If maintained, AI-powered gaming could become a powerful pillar of India’s digital economy—transforming creativity, technology, and investment into a globally influential force.
