According to a research published by the All India Game Developers' Forum (AIDGF) in collaboration with the Indian Governance and Policy Project (IGAP), India urgently requires a structured age and content rating system customized to its specific cultural and regulatory gaming ecosystem.

Despite an estimated 425 million gamers and rising gaming content consumption, India currently lacks a standardized age-rating system, unlike other digital content such as OTT platforms and frameworks in other countries or regions, according to the report. 

At present, a big proportion of Indian gamers are under 18. According to the report, regulated and responsible industrial practices in the gaming sector can play an important role in guaranteeing children's safety and mental well-being.

"As India's gaming industry expands at an unprecedented rate, it is critical to establish a strong framework to protect our younger gamers," stated Roland Landers, spokesperson for AIGDF. While age rating and content description are not legally required, they play an important commercial function in ensuring that a publisher's game content is widely accessible and distributed to the general public. "For instance, unrated games listed on Google's Play Store are treated as 'high-maturity' apps for the purpose of parental controls until they obtain a rating," according to the paper. 

The paper suggests developing an age-rating system suited exclusively for the Indian market, emphasizing the importance of categories and descriptors that reflect cultural sensitivities and regulatory needs relevant to the Indian setting.

According to the survey, the most popular foreign rating frameworks for games are the North American-origin Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and the European-origin Pan European Game Information (PEGI).