Go back 10-15 years, and very few people had even heard of the team “esports.” But now, it’s a huge part of modern life, and the biggest electronic sport tournaments get millions of viewers and hand out huge cash prizes to the victors in games like League of Legends, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, and Dota 2.
Lots of major nations around the world have established their own esports industries, and some are growing nicely, year after year. The scene of esports in India, for example, is burgeoning right now, thanks to several key drivers of growth, like a huge population of young people, ever-improving internet infrastructure, and the popularity of mobile gaming.
Many use gambling platforms, like the 1 Wen app, to try and win money through betting or casino games. Others download popular mobile games like PUBG Mobile and BGMI that they can play with their friends or against people from all over the world. This is greatly supported by India’s excellent nationwide 5G coverage, allowing players to game wherever they go.
While India isn’t quite at the same levels as the esports powerhouses of Asia, like China, South Korea, and Japan, it’s certainly becoming a bigger name in the industry. And gaming in India is rising up on the whole, too. But could India eventually emerge as one of or even the definitive Asian leader in esports? Let’s have a closer look and find out.
The Infrastructure Behind India’s Esports Growth
We’ll kick things off with a look at India’s technological infrastructure, which is getting better all the time. This, essentially, is the fuel behind the rise of esports in this nation. You can’t have a serious esports industry without strong internet infrastructure in place to support it, but India has made massive strides in this area of late.
Internet & Mobile Gaming Revolution
India’s internet penetration rate is rising year on year, and the country’s population is becoming increasingly tech-minded. Every day, millions of Indians use their devices, like smartphones, tablets, laptops, and personal computers, to engage not just in work and professional endeavors, but in games and entertainment, too.
Esports Venues and Events
Esports industries also rely on physical stadia and spaces where gamers can come together to train or compete in grand events in front of legions of fans. This, too, is an area that India has been working on, and there are now several major esports venues dotted across the nation, ready to host huge events, like:
- Console Gaming in Thane, which is one of the largest esports venues in the whole country
- LXG arenas, which are dotted around major cities
- Xtreme Gaming Esports Stadium in Delhi
In addition, there’s also a healthy schedule of esports events and tournaments on the Indian calendar. There’s the IGL, or Indian Gaming League, for example, which hosts lots of competitive events throughout the year, along with other esports ventures, like Skyesports, ESL India, and EGamersWorld.
Government and Corporate Investments
The Indian government is not blind to the rise of global esports and has taken steps to promote and support the development of esports within its borders. For example, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports recently added esports to the list of sports that are eligible for cash rewards when participants win medals or prizes at international events.
Private investors, including some big names like Jio, Tencent, and Reliance, are also pouring money into the India esports industry. Not just that, but there are also some major sponsorship brands taking an interest in Indian esports teams and competitors. And that includes some well-known names as well, like Red Bull, ASUS, and Lenovo.
Major Esports Titles Popular in India
In the next sections, we’ll explore some of the competitive game titles that have taken off in India. Many of them will be familiar to esports fans and enthusiasts, but there are also a couple of games that are popular here which aren’t necessarily quite as big elsewhere around the world, giving Indian gamers and fans some unique experiences.
Mobile Esports (The Most Popular Segment)
As touched on earlier, competitive mobile gaming is a major segment of the esports market in India. Loads of people own smartphones here, because they’re quite cheap and readily available, and many like to use their phones to play games, which has given rise to a lot of popular mobile titles.
Voorbeelde sluit in:
- BGMI (Battlegrounds Mobile India) – This is basically the Indian version of PUBG, or Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds. It was temporarily banned in 2022 but has since returned and remains a deeply beloved title with a huge BGMI esports following.
- Free Fire – Another Battle Royale game like PUBG, Free Fire was made by the Singaporean studio Garena. It’s had a billion downloads worldwide, and a lot of them are from India.
- Call of Duty Mobile – The mobile version of the hugely popular console and PC first-person shooter franchise.
- Clash Royale – A strategy game, Clash Royale has been around for nearly a decade but continues to prove popular in many markets. Like India, where the game has legions of hardcore fans.
- Asphalt 9 – Also known as Asphalt Legends, this is a racing game. It’s on mobile but also consoles, and it’s got a rapidly growing community of competitive-minded players.
PC & Console Gaming
Over on PCs and home consoles, there are also many more titles that are taking off among the Indian gamer base. Examples are:
- Valorant – One of the many “Hero shooters” of the moment, Valorant pits teams of super-powered characters against each other in tight arenas.
- CS2: The sequel to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, CS2 is a tactical first person shooter. It demands lightning-fast reflexes and map knowledge to succeed.
- Dota 2: This is a MOBA, or multiplayer online battle arena. It’s a game of strategy, tactics, and management that demands a lot of its top players.
- League of Legends: Another big MOBA game and one of the esports industry’s staples, LoL has consistently been the most-watched esports game worldwide.
India’s Position in the Global and Asian Esports Ecosystem
Next, a look at how India ranks among the biggest esports markets of the world, and what chances it might have of overcoming some of the other big names and taking its place as an esports colossus.
Competing with China and South Korea
In the Asian market, two countries dominate the esports scene. And those are China, which is the second biggest esports market worldwide (after the US) and South Korea, which is the fourth largest. India, for the sake of comparison, is currently around the 11th biggest market globally, and the fourth biggest in Asia.
There are clearly factors that make China and S. Korea such successes in this field. They’ve got long-running cultures of fostering esports athletes, with training venues, stadiums, and tournaments that have been around for years. In contrast, India’s scene is much younger, and it’ll take time for it to reach the same heights, but it’s growing fast.
The Rise of Indian Esports Organizations
You only have to look at some of the big names in Indian esports to see just how quickly this country is building its esports empire. Examples are:
- GodLike Esports, which has won a bunch of A-tier tournaments and even placed top 15 at the 2021 PUBG Global Championship.
- Global Esports, a growing name with a lot of tourney wins and high-place finishes in games like Valorant.
- Team SouL, which has been taking home a lot of wins lately in games like BGMI.
For a long time, Indian teams only competed at local and national level and didn’t make much of a mark on global or international tournaments. But that’s certainly starting to change.
Hosting International Tournaments in India
The true sign when a country has a good esports industry is when it can host major tournaments successfully, bringing in large numbers of spectators and fans and sponsorships. This is something that India has been working towards and something that it has recently started to pull off, thanks partly to the ESL India Premiership and Skyesports Championships.
While India hasn’t yet hosted any major global tournaments, there’s certainly potential. It has the infrastructure now, and the fan following for esports in India is getting huge. As such, we might someday soon see a tourney like The International, the Valorant Champions Tour, or the Mobile Legends M-Series in a city like Thane, Delhi, or Mumbai.
Die rol van stroom en inhoudskepping
One of the big factors that has helped esports grow worldwide has been the development of streaming culture. Sites like YouTube and Twitch have made it easier for fans worldwide to watch esports tournaments, follow their favorite players, learn high-end gaming techniques, and pursue their own pro gaming dreams.
We’ve even seen gaming influencers in India build huge followings. People like Mortal, ScoutOP, and Jonathan, for example, have millions of fans on social media and streaming sites. And this helps esports o the whole a great deal, as it generates more hype and interest in these players, the games they play, and the events they attend.
Challenges India Faces in Becoming an Esports Leader
India isn’t going to become the No. 1 name in esports overnight. It’ll take time, and there are several challenges to overcome if the country is ever to grow to the same giddy heights as China, South Korea, and others. Those challenges include:
- Regulatory and legal challenges: We already spoke of how PUBG was temporarily banned in India for a while. More bans and legal issues like that could scupper the rise of certain esports titles and threaten the industry on the whole.
- Infrastructure gaps: While infrastructure is improving, more work is needed. The population needs better access to proper gaming PCs, plus reliable, consistent funding for esports groups and tournaments to build their businesses.
- Limited international exposure for Indian player: As mentioned before, a lot of big Indian esports players have competed at local/national level, but haven’t had too much experience of bigger global tournaments yet.
- Monetization struggles for professional esports athletes: It can be hard to pursue a career as an esports athlete in India at the moment, due to difficulties getting sponsored, finding a team, etc.
The Future of Esports in India
Looking to the future, there are many exciting trends on the horizon for esports in India:
- Growing Popularity: By 2030, we could very well see India rise up to the same or similar levels in esports as South Korea and China, as long as the relevant resources, funding, and infrastructure is provided.
- New Tech: We expect to see new technologies – AI, VR, and blockchain gaming, for example – to play a bigger role in the esports scene on the whole, and especially in India, which is always quick to embrace new tech.
- More Support: As esports becomes more valuable and popular in Asia, it’s likely that the number of fans will grow, the number of aspiring pros will also rise, and the government, plus sponsors and league organizers, will do more to fuel esports growth here.
Conclusion: Can India Overtake Asian Esports Giants?
So, can India overtake South Korea and China someday? It’s certainly possible. But, for now, rather than focusing on overtaking any other nation, India needs to first look inward, cement its own esports industry, build infrastructure, and foster an esports culture, and then move towards the next steps of global domination in this industry.
