How Video Gaming Is Shaping India’s Entertainment Industry
For some, Friday nights are about get-togethers with family and friends or dining at a popular new restaurant in town. For others, they’re more about glueing themselves to their screens, beating their high score, and socialising from a distance. But does the latter resonate with people in India?
Gaming has historically been shaped by strong regional influences, particularly in East Asia and Western countries. While Japan has been a leader in the console gaming market, South Korea was at the forefront of esports and online multiplayer gaming. Meanwhile, the U.S. led the way for modern gaming, with open-world games and first-person shooters that most gamers have at least heard of.
While India has sat comfortably on the sidelines for almost the entire lifespan of modern video gaming, the landscape is changing. Especially with affordable smartphones and cheap data, phones have become the gateway to this underrated form of entertainment. Now, video games are on par with enjoying a Bollywood film and listening to the latest hits.
But how did this all begin?
The Growth of Video Games in India
Just a quick look at the numbers will give you a clear picture of the industry—the video game market in India is growing like never before. While the industry had been described as ‘close to non-existent’ up until the late 2010s, between 2018 and 2019 alone, the number of gamers increased by 41.6%. Now, it’s one of the top five mobile gaming markets worldwide.
Of course, it’s not just smartphone gaming that’s got the country hooked. Much like how online slot games vary in payout styles—there are those that offer massive jackpots and those that provide players with smaller wins that keep them engaged, India’s gaming industry thrives on both blockbuster titles and casual mobile experiences.
With gaming on the rise, renowned game studios like Zynga, Rockstar Games, Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, and more have opened offices in India.
A major factor behind this boom, however, was the widespread presence of cyber cafés. While these types of cafés aren’t unique to India, they acted as social hubs and brought people in the community together to play games and surf the web. For those without access to personal computers or consoles, cyber cafés offered people the chance to experience gaming as others did.
How Has Gaming Changed the Indian Entertainment Industry?
Given its limited popularity and restricted access, gaming remained a niche pastime for decades, much like how it was in the Western world in the early days. Once gaming was made accessible and the internet exposed the population to the joys of gaming, it began gaining traction. The younger generation naturally became captivated by the experiences that games offered, and soon enough, video games went mainstream.
Now, you no longer need to be ‘one of the boys’ or part of a gaming community to play video games. The variety of game genres and ways to play means that players of any gender, age, and background can find something that aligns with their interests. Sports enthusiasts can start a FIFA game with friends, RPG fans can immerse themselves in World of Warcraft, and families can opt for Mario Party over a board game.
While it’s taken some time for India to integrate into global gaming culture, the country has now made it a mainstream form of entertainment. Esports tournaments are just as tuned into as cricket matches—the country’s most popular sport. Indians, similar to other populations, have changed their entertainment consumption habits too, adopting shorter attention spans from mobile gaming formats and short video clips.
The Impact on the Economy
Perhaps the most significant effect of the video game boom is its economic impact. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, the gaming market is expected to grow to $8.6 billion by 2028, boasting an impressive CAGR of 27.4%. India’s youthful population is increasingly tech-savvy and earning more disposable income, and they’re single-handedly shaping the industry.
Not only is the act of gaming becoming more popular, but so is the idea of working in the industry. As gaming giants continue to establish a presence in India, there will naturally be a demand for IT professionals and developers. Luckily, the country is no stranger to these experts. India ranks among the top globally in the number of science and engineering graduates and is the world’s top exporter of IT. IT already makes up a significant portion of India’s total GDP, with tech hubs dotted around the country.
Many Indians are bound to see the gaming industry’s potential and lucrativeness and want to get their foot in the door.
The Road Ahead
As the gaming ecosystem becomes more refined and mature, the industry will create a variety of jobs within and outside of the IT sector—in design, marketing, and regulation, for example. With video games having close ties to emerging technologies like VR and AI, demand will only grow from there.
All in all, we’re looking at a new future for gaming in India, where innovation and investments will compound. Gaming will continue to transform many industries, much like it has in other countries where it has been well-established. Technology, pop culture, and entertainment will soon have a symbiotic relationship, where game characters are integrated into music and TV and influence local fashion and broader lifestyle trends.
This marks an exciting time when gaming is emerging as a cultural force in a place where entertainment was almost completely devoid of it. While India still has some catching up to do, it looks like gaming is truly taking off.
