Reference files: 

MeitY released the application form for registration of online social games and e-sports with the Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI), a regulatory body established under the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming (PROG) Act, 2025. The application PDF is available on MeitY’s website.

However, the submission process has not been explained. The instructions in the form ask applicants to “submit the completed form along with all supporting documents to the designated OGAI portal.” But where is this OGAI portal? The government has not identified any functioning portal. More than three months ago, OGAI’s demo website briefly went live with incomplete details. The URL is no longer publicly accessible.. When we attempted to access the page, it displayed a “403: Access Denied” error, stating: “Your request has been blocked by security rules.” You can read our previous reporting on it here.

URL of OGAI’s demo site: https://devogai.negd.in/

OGAI was established under the PROG Act to oversee the classification, registration, and governance of online games in India, while prohibiting online real-money games.

What’s in the application form?

The application consists of three parts:

  • Part I – Indian User Registration: This section covers Indian applicants, including companies, LLPs, partnerships, proprietorships, societies, and individuals. It collects identity and address details, along with entity-specific information such as Corporate Identification Number (CIN), PAN, and GST details.
  • Part II – Foreign User Registration: This section mirrors Part I but is meant for foreign applicants, including both individuals and companies.
  • Part III – Game Registration: This is the core game registration section and is common to all applicants.

Is Email Submission Allowed? The PDF includes an OGAI email address under the “Contact Us” section, but it does not clarify whether applicants can submit their completed forms through email.
Email address: [email protected]

What Do the Rules Say? Rule 13 of the PROG Rules states that a service provider seeking to register an online game must apply through the “digital form published on the website or mobile-based application of the Authority.” But, what does this “digital form” really mean as per the act? Is adding an email layer “digital” enough?

MediaNama’s take on this: At present, the registration process consists only of a PDF form that applicants can fill either electronically or manually. There is no clarity on whether one method is preferred or mandatory.

More importantly, the application page does not explain the exact submission process or specify where the completed form should be submitted. The OGAI portal referenced in the instructions is not live. Neither the PROG Act nor the Rules specify the mechanism for submitting applications to OGAI. So what are gaming companies supposed to do with this form?

Should they email it to the OGAI address listed in the document? If so, why doesn’t the application explicitly say so? Would such a submission even be accepted?

Screenshot from the OGAI registration application form

The absence of a functional OGAI portal raises questions about the Authority’s operational readiness. Ironically, OGAI is supposed to operate as a “digital office” under MeitY.

Requiring applicants to manually fill out a PDF in 2026 feels archaic. It also highlights MeitY’s inability to launch a working OGAI portal despite the demo website appearing briefly months ago. It has been more than three months since we reported on the portal’s short-lived debut.

P.S. Thanks to Jay Sayta, an online gaming lawyer, for pointing this issue out to us. As always, feel free to send us anonymous tips.

Also Read: