Tencent Bets Big on India’s Orange Economy with ₹10 Crore Push

Chinese tech giant Tencent has announced a multi-year commitment to support India’s emerging “Orange Economy,” marking a fresh push into the country’s fast-growing creative and gaming ecosystem.

The company has committed over ₹10 crore in resources and programmes aimed at strengthening curriculum development, industry training and mentorship in India’s Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) sector.

As part of the initiative, Tencent has signed separate memorandums of understanding (MoU) with the Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) and the Game Developers Association of India (GDAI).

The three-year partnership with SEPC will focus on capacity building, industry collaboration and helping Indian AVGC firms connect with global value chains. India has set an ambition to train and employ around two million professionals in the AVGC-XR sector by 2030.

With GDAI, the focus will be on grassroots skilling initiatives, including a national game jam for over 10,000 students annually, train-the-trainer programmes for educators and participation in industry events such as the Indian Game Developers Conference.

Focus on Talent and Global Reach

Speaking at the launch event, Tencent’s Head of Public Policy and Global Affairs Danny Marti said the company’s focus "goes beyond investment in programmes." He said Tencent aims to build practical pathways for creators, studios and talent by combining India’s creative strengths with its global expertise to strengthen the AVGC ecosystem.

GDAI CEO Shruti Verma said India is at a turning point in its gaming journey and has the potential to become a global hub for game development. She added that partnerships like this can help build a stronger talent pipeline through skilling and mentorship.

India’s Orange Economy Push

The initiative comes as India positions the “Orange Economy” — sectors driven by creativity, culture and intellectual property — as a key engine of future growth.

According to the Economic Survey 2025–26, creative industries such as media, entertainment, culture and digital content could become major drivers of jobs, tourism and urban services. The survey also highlights India’s young population, rising digital adoption and growing urbanisation as key enablers.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her Union Budget 2026 speech, also underlined the importance of the Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics sector, noting that it is expected to require around two million professionals by 2030.

Industry estimates cited by EY suggest India’s creator economy could grow at an 18% CAGR, rising from Rs 19 billion in 2023 to Rs 34 billion by 2026, signalling rapid expansion of the digital creative sector.