With state support and advocacy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, e-sports has cemented its place as a new-age sport after getting official recognition as a 'multi-sport' event by the government, they added.
"More than a decade ago, gaming was nothing but a pastime of a few passionate gamers. If we look at the current scenario, we can say that India has come a long way. The industry has gained immense popularity and legitimacy among the masses," he claimed. Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and CEO of NODWIN Gaming.
"In the near future, we imagine that e-sports will gain the same status as traditional sports, especially with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announcing plans to create e-sports Olympic Games," he added.
According to a report by FICCI-EY, total participation in esports tournaments is expected to reach 2.5 million participants across various titles, up from 1.79 million in 2023.
Additionally, airtime for esports broadcasts is projected to increase from 6,500 to 8,000 hours in 2023, with average viewership minutes increasing.
"The rise of mobile gaming, driven by the large number of smartphone users in the country, has made gaming more accessible to a wider audience, driving growth in the industry," said Roby John, CEO and co-founder of SuperGaming.
Even though India is largely a mobile gaming-first nation due to high data penetration and affordable smartphones, there has been a notable rise in interest in PC gaming.
Recent data from video game developer Valve highlighted that Asia, including India, is one of the fastest-growing regions for Steam users, with a more than 150 percent increase in new users from 2019 to 2024.
According to Vishal Parekh, COO of CyberPowerPC India, the prominent PC esports titles at major sports tournaments "highlight the importance of PC gaming for grassroots development and achieving success at these events."
"More than a decade ago, gaming was nothing but a pastime of a few passionate gamers. If we look at the current scenario, we can say that India has come a long way. The industry has gained immense popularity and legitimacy among the masses," he claimed. Akshat Rathee, Co-Founder and CEO of NODWIN Gaming.
"In the near future, we imagine that e-sports will gain the same status as traditional sports, especially with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announcing plans to create e-sports Olympic Games," he added.
According to a report by FICCI-EY, total participation in esports tournaments is expected to reach 2.5 million participants across various titles, up from 1.79 million in 2023.
Additionally, airtime for esports broadcasts is projected to increase from 6,500 to 8,000 hours in 2023, with average viewership minutes increasing.
"The rise of mobile gaming, driven by the large number of smartphone users in the country, has made gaming more accessible to a wider audience, driving growth in the industry," said Roby John, CEO and co-founder of SuperGaming.
Even though India is largely a mobile gaming-first nation due to high data penetration and affordable smartphones, there has been a notable rise in interest in PC gaming.
Recent data from video game developer Valve highlighted that Asia, including India, is one of the fastest-growing regions for Steam users, with a more than 150 percent increase in new users from 2019 to 2024.
According to Vishal Parekh, COO of CyberPowerPC India, the prominent PC esports titles at major sports tournaments "highlight the importance of PC gaming for grassroots development and achieving success at these events."
