In an effort to reduce game development costs, PlayStation maker Sony Computer Entertainment intends to bolster its development efforts in India--a popular choice for outsourced labor.

If successful, the initiative could break even in three years and lead to a dedicated Indian development facility, SCE country manager Atindriya Bose told news site DNA.

Using technology and talent from other SCE branches, such as SingStar and Getaway veterans London Studio, Sony will be coaching local programmers in game development and loaning out development hardware.

Four Indian developers have been tasked with five projects thus far. Sony hopes the effort will help lower game costs, with an 18-month PlayStation 2 game currently budgeted between $3-5 million while a PlayStation 3 title is estimated at $20-30 million.

"The future of the Indian game development market will depend on the quality of the game developers who are starting at a zero base," Bose noted.