Gaming publisher KRAFTON India has signed an MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) to launch KIGI Academy, a new industry-academia initiative aimed at building India’s game development talent ecosystem.

The six-month, fully funded programme will provide students with hands-on exposure to coding, game design, UI/UX, art and product development, according to a KRAFTON India media statement yesterday.

The inaugural cohort will comprise 30 students and will combine classroom-based learning at the IIT Madras campus with practical industry experience at KRAFTON India’s headquarters in Bengaluru.

The programme will begin with a four-month on-site learning phase at IIT Madras, followed by a two-month immersive residency at KRAFTON India. 

Ten students will be selected for the residential phase through a structured process involving an online application via the IIT Madras placement portal, application screening and a personal interview.

The 16-week on-site phase will focus on strengthening core game development skills using the Unity engine, with an emphasis on mobile gaming and collaborative weekly builds. 

During the eight-week residency, participants will gain hands-on exposure to real-world game production processes and work towards developing and showcasing a final vertical-slice game.

KRAFTON India said KIGI Academy reflects its commitment to investing in the next generation of developers, designers and creators. The initiative builds on the company’s KRAFTON Jungle programme in Korea, with mentors from the Jungle programme also guiding developers selected for KIGI Academy.

The partnership marks KIGI Academy’s first academic collaboration and is aimed at creating a structured pathway between academic learning and professional game development.