Esports refers to “Electronic sports” which is a virtual gaming platform where individual play a particular game and professionally build their career in that field. It can be played individually as well as in a team format. They form their team based on the number of players required and compete with various other teams in a competitive spirit.
Different games contain different technicalities such as First-person shooters (FPS) along with real-time strategy, Third party perspective with real-time strategy, Multiplayer online battle arenas (MOBA). Esports tournaments are organized as traditional sports events.
In all the tournaments, audiences are located at the venue as well as the tournaments are live streamed on the online platform such as YouTube and Twitch.
Some of the popular Esports games are:
- Valorant (FPS)
- CS:GO (FPS)
- Dota 2 (MOBA)
- League of legends (MOBA)
- FIFA (sports simulation)
- PUBG (Mobile/PC)
Esports in India
Esports in India was first recognised in the early 2000’s through small-scale tournaments for games like CSGO and Dota.
The year 2018 marked a significant turning point for esports in India, with the release of PUBG Mobile revolutionizing the industry and propelling it into mainstream popularity. It was the most popular mobile game in India.
Another widely popular mobile game during that period was Free Fire Arena, which, alongside PUBG Mobile, garnered a massive young audience in India. However, in 2020, both games faced a ban by the Indian Government due to privacy concerns. Despite this setback, the immense engagement with these virtual games had already sparked interest in esports among the Indian youth, inspiring many players to pursue esports as a career and gain widespread recognition.
Recently, the most popular virtual games in India are.
- BGMI
- Valorant
- Pokémon Unite
- CODM
- CS:GO
Official Recognition:
In the year 2022 esports were officially recognised by the Indian Government as a part of multi-sports event category. This was a significant milestone, legitimizing esports as a professional career option.
Indian esports players have started competing in international tournaments, displaying their skills on a global stage. During 2019 to 2022, Indian teams represented themselves in the global stage.
In mobile games such as PUBG/BGMI and CODM various teams represent India like Soul, 8bit, Global Esports, TSM entity and many more. And in PC games Team GE represented India Pacific region.
Industry Growth:
The esports industry in India has seen exponential growth, with investments from major organizations including some named foreign esports organization such TSM, Fnatic, Galaxy racers and partnerships with global esports organizations. The market is projected to grow significantly in the coming years.
The Indian esports industry experienced remarkable growth in 2024, establishing itself in the mainstream. In a recently published India Gaming Report, it has highlighted that the pure-play gaming sector in India is currently valued at INR 6,715 crore and is projected to expand at a magnificent CAGR of 24%, reaching INR 10,487 crore by 2026. With 13.85 crore gamers and an anticipated annual growth rate of 11.82% through 2026, the industry is on an upward direction with no signs of slowing down.
Challenges:
- Limited awareness among the population, esports as a career.
- inadequate infrastructure to support professional gaming.
- No proper roadmap in some games, which is leading to closure of organizations in India.
- Foreign Organizations are not investing into the Indian market as they used to earlier.
- Recognition of Indian players in the global scenarios.
Despite the challenges, growing interest from government bodies signals a bright future, with many opportunities for growth, innovation, and expansion in the coming years.