WAVES 2025: How India is leveling up its gaming creator economy

As India eyes the title of the world’s biggest content exporter, the government is doubling down on its support for the gaming and creator economy. The upcoming World Audio-Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES), set to run from May 1 to May 4, is already positioning itself as the centrepiece of that ambition, with game developers, influencers, and global investors converging under one digital roof for 'Game Jam'.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently announced a $1 billion fund to accelerate India’s creator economy through initiatives like skill development, funding support, and global matchmaking platforms like WAVES Bazaar. With over 591 million gamers in India and more than 4 million gaming influencers, the move signals a tectonic shift in how the government perceives the creator class, not as a fringe community but a serious force shaping the future economy.

Government game for a bigger stake?

Dilsher Singh Malhi, Founder & CEO of Zupee, explained why the government is growing its stake in the gaming creator economy. “The government's interest in the sector is great. But we have to understand the potential of gaming as a segment, not just in its current form, but for what can originate out of it,” he said, pointing to adjacent innovations in audiovisual, immersive and vernacular interfaces emerging from the gaming space.

He noted that just like in the past when companies like Infosys and Flipkart seeded new startup ecosystems, the gaming industry is now at a similar inflection point. “Ex-employees from gaming companies are building verticals that will power India’s trillion-dollar digital economy. That’s what the government is betting on, and that’s the expectation from us,” he added.

On the sidelines of the Waves summit, Malhi shared that Zupee’s target demographic lies primarily in the 18 to 40 age group, with 80% male and 20% female users, and they will be present there. This has shaped a largely digital-first media mix. “As you can imagine, our audience is digital-native. So, we rely heavily on digital channels—Instagram, YouTube, and influencers form a big part of that,” he explained.

He also hinted at the brand’s dynamic approach, saying Zupee is constantly experimenting with creators across different tiers. “From big names to micro and mid-tier influencers, we’ve built an experimentation engine. At our scale, even beating the baseline requires continuous testing,” he said as the company has spent ?806 crore on marketing in FY24. 

Gaming: Where entertainment meets engagement

NESCAFÉ has been quick to recognise this momentum. The brand recently collaborated with top Minecraft creators to promote its new Cold Coffee range, generating over 3.89 million organic views within just ten days.

In a standout example, popular YouTuber GamerFleet (Anshu Bisht) hosted a launch stream that pulled 6.6 million impressions and over 1.2 million views in one weekend. The event wasn’t just a showcase—it was a new-age brand moment built entirely inside a virtual world.

As part of its Ready-to-Drink (RTD) product expansion in India, NESCAFÉ tapped into 27 Minecraft live-streams timed around the release of a blockbuster film. Streamers played intense mini-games and paused mid-battle to sip NESCAFÉ on camera, blending caffeine with community.

“We collaborated with some of the top game streamers through live-streaming activations, with the aim of enhancing brand awareness and deepening our engagement with the youth,” said Manav Sahni, Head, Dairy Business, Nestlé India.

This campaign was co-orchestrated by Publicis and StreamO—an ad-tech gaming platform connecting over 20,000 gaming creators to brands. Prior to launch, creators warmed up audiences via posts and Stories, inviting them to “chill” with NESCAFÉ in real time.

Tushaar Garg, Founder of StreamO, called Minecraft “a phenomenon brewing for over 15 years.” He added, “We aggregated, automated, and activated the Minecraft community on YouTube for NESCAFÉ’s Cold Coffee—keeping gamers refreshed over long hours of streaming.”

Government push meets private play

The government’s involvement in nurturing this ecosystem is not just performative—it’s strategic. India’s creative economy was valued at $30 billion last year, contributing 2.5% to the GDP and employing 8% of the workforce. Influencer marketing alone stands at ?3,375 crore and is projected to hit ?3,975 crore by 2026, according to EY.

Platforms like STAN, which boasts over 20 million users and 200,000+ gaming creators, are becoming cornerstones of this creator movement. With over 70 game publishers and 500+ brand collaborations already on board, STAN exemplifies what India’s creator economy could become.

Parth Chadha, Co-founder and CEO of STAN said, “There is an interesting push for the creator economy and our PM is also supporting a lot of us gamers and YouTubers. In fact, in the last year, we saw PM Modi meeting all these guys—some of them are all on STAN also.”

He also hinted at deeper collaboration between STAN and government-backed initiatives. “We are also working on something in this front closely with some of the forums which are connected to the government in various departments,” Chadha shared. “Even though we are part of the WAVES as well, some of our creators are going to be there.”

Chadha recalled his visit to the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco and compared it to India’s IGDC. “This time, so many people flew down for IGDC to India—people from Japan, people from the U.S., Korea,” he mentioned while talking about India becoming a net exporter of content.

The creator economy is not just about content—it’s a business ecosystem. Two major sets of brands now engage with them. One is made up of game studios like Krafton, Mixi, and Garena; the other includes consumer brands like Swiggy, Dell, and ITC’s Bingo Chips.

“We help creators also make money in all of these partnerships,” Chadha noted. “Revenue-sharing models keep creators invested.” 

The impact is visible: over 70 brands and studios have collaborated with STAN in the past two quarters alone.

With a 213% surge in gaming influencers over just two years and a 320% overall rise in influencers since 2020, India’s content creators are no longer just entertainers—they are cultural ambassadors. Through WAVES and initiatives like STAN’s grassroots collaborations, the country is inching closer to fulfilling Prime Minister Modi’s vision of making India the world's leading content exporter.

From caffeine-fuelled campaigns to billion-dollar government blueprints, India’s gaming community is no longer playing on the sidelines. They are at the centre of a narrative where digital play, cultural power, and economic opportunity converge.