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The Indian gaming industry has exhibited a rise in development in their games and content creation targeted to the local preferences and culture sensibilities of the Indian market. This has caused the upsurge of a robust ecosystem of game developers, publishers and other stakeholders related to the industry.
In recent reports, it was expected that for the latter part of 2024 the India Gaming Market size will reach up to USD 3.49 billion and in 2029 it will even hit USD 7.24 billion. This is forecasted due to CAGR growing to 15.68%. Reports also revealed that aside from the growing number of youth that patronize games, the use of smartphones and establishing high-speed internet are also factors for the recent development.
In an article from The Economic Times, it was highlighted that India has affordable and decent mobile data worldwide. Compared to the United Kingdom’s average cost of gigabyte priced at USD 6.66, in India this only costs USD 0.26–also relatively lower to the United States with USD 12.37 for the same data.
More on the domination and development of India’s gaming industry, this year marked a significant game changer for the country as it overtook China as the primary consumer of mobile games. The Indian market is currently 2.5 times larger than China and thrice as large as the United States. This positive data and bright future for the Indian market has prompted its central government to take action and motivate the citizens into creating “Digital India.”
The Prime Minister of the country is the initiator of the vision “Digital India,” motivating developers and innovators to take lead in the online gaming industry. Other various measures are also implemented by the central government in order to influence the trajectory of online gaming. The creation of the Inter-Ministerial Task Force (IMTF) to offer recommendations for universal, national-level legislation to regulate online gaming is one of the major acts of the government.
This significant growth of the gaming industry does not only positively impact the economy but has also cultivated a strong sense of community among gamers–creating a more vibrant and engaged gaming community. Moreover, further expansion is also expected together with the ongoing development with the rise of advanced technologies like augmented reality, virtual reality and cloud gaming.
Gaming in India Market Trends
As established, the continuous growing production of smartphones is now a major driving force in the gaming industry. Major tech players like Activision Blizzard and Electronic Arts are also shifting focus towards mobile gaming and is competing with established mobile gaming companies such as Tencent and Sea.
Additionally, major smartphone producer–Samsung Galaxy, has plans to move part of its smartphone manufacturing to India from Vietnam and several other countries this year. This signifies the country’s growing importance in the global smartphone market. This market expansion is expected to lead to a surge in mobile esports, particularly multiplayer games, as 5G technology has also begun to become widespread.
Who Dominates the India Market Share and Paid Gaming Industry
With the takeover of India from the gaming industry to major countries like China and the US, it is also important to take a look at what dominates the market industry in India in relation to technology and gaming.
Recent reductions in data costs have made India one of the most affordable markets for data, leading to a surge in smartphone users. According to a Newzoo survey from the previous year, leading games on Google Play in India had a total of 657 million monthly users. This favorable environment has also boosted the number of mobile gamers, with an average of seven games on each person’s phone, four of which are regularly played, as per a CMR study.
In a report by 42matters.com, India boasts a substantial presence on Google Play, with over 5,283 Indian publishers out of 166,039 game publishers, indicating the growing dominance of Indian players in the Android gaming sector. Some of these prominent Indian publishers are Gametion Technologies Pvt Ltd, Words Mobiles, and Games2win.com. A significant 3% of game publishers on Google Play is held by the Indian market.
It is evident that Android holds a significant market share in the country among all mobile segments. With the estimated 750 million users last year, it was recorded that Xiaomi and Realme are growing exponentially, with OnePlus and Samsung still dominating the market.
Moreover, looking in the paid gaming industry, Real Money Games (RMG) is also dominating the gaming industry. Card-based games, lottery games, fantasy sports and other online games along with the best online casinos in India, makes up to 150+ million in value to the RMG industry. This value is reported to be only earned by the gamers, other sources such as advertisement run in the game are also skyrocketing, with in-game advertising revenue expected to go from USD 300 million to over USD 1 billion by the year 2030. Affiliate marketing firms are capitalizing on the growing interest in online gambling by promoting the best online casinos in India, highlighting their promotions and features to attract an expanding audience.
