The Rise of E-sports in India: A Look at its Growing Popularity and Potential
After cricket and kabaddi, a new contender has emerged to dominate the sports stage in India: e-sports. From online gaming platforms to mobile e-sports, India’s e-sports business is rapidly expanding and shows no signs of slowing. This article will delve into the fascinating evolution of e-sports in India and how the industry has experienced a surge in popularity over time.
What is E- Sports
Electronic sports, commonly known as e-sports, are organised gaming events in which players participate individually or as a team in a competitive gaming environment with the goal of winning the tournament. BGMI (previously pub-g), Valorant, Call of Duty Mobile, and FIFA are some of the most well-known e-sports games.
The Growth of E-sports in India
The number of both occasional viewers and e-sports enthusiasts spiked significantly during lockdown, when people were stuck inside their homes. The revenue earnings of India’s online gaming segment have steadily increased from 30.4 billion rupees in 2017 to 101 billion rupees in 2021. Although e-sports is a notable aspect of the online gaming industry, it accounts for only a fraction of the total revenue generated by online games in India. According to Statisa, in the financial year 2021, there were approximately 17 million viewers of e-sports in India. The number of viewers nearly doubled from that of 2019, indicating the significant growth potential of the industry. This rapid rise has made India one of the fastest-growing markets for e-sports viewership in the world, with an estimated 85 million viewers expected to tune in to e-sports events across 20 different platforms by 2025.
Impact on Employment and International Development
The Indian e-sports industry is growing rapidly, attracting international game developers and localized versions of popular games. During the pandemic, 76 new online gaming companies emerged in India, bringing the total to over 400. (Source: KPMG) This growth creates new job opportunities, which require retraining and upskilling of the current workforce to meet the demands of game production and marketing. International game developers are entering the Indian market, while popular games are being localized to attract Indian audiences. The pandemic has also resulted in 76 new online gaming companies in India, bringing the total to over 400. (Source: KPMG) As the industry grows, there is a need to upskill the workforce for game production and marketing jobs.
The future of e-sports and online gaming in India
India promoted the hosting of numerous e-sports events as well as participation in them due to a growing understanding that e-sports are more than just online gaming. In the financial year 2021, the revenue of the e-sports industry in India was around 2.5 billion Indian rupees. A significant portion of that year’s revenue results came from streaming. It is projected that the revenue of e-sports in India will reach a staggering 11 billion Indian rupees as a result of an estimated 85 million viewers tuning in to watch e-sports events by 2025.
Conclusion
The rapid expansion of e-sports in India demonstrates the growing popularity of online gaming. It also highlights the industry’s potential to generate economic growth and job creation in the country. In the next few years, the e-sports business has the potential to flourish as more people tune in to watch their favourite players and teams battle. This creates significant opportunity for game developers, marketers, and other professionals to thrive
