A recent report on the online gaming industry – e4m-GroupM ESP Online Gaming Report 2023 – indicates that the gaming market in India will see a CAGR of 27% by 2027 thanks to access to affordable smartphones, high-speed internet connection and increased interest in gaming during the lockdowns.

India recorded more than 750 million active internet users in 2022 with the majority of them playing online games across various platforms and genres. According to the report, the gaming market is set to reach $8.6 billion in FY27, up from $2.6 billion in FY22.

Furthermore, the report also revealed that the number of gamers in 2022 was recorded at 421 million which is expected to cross 442 million by 2023. When it comes to the number of mobile gamers it is projected to cross 650 million by 2025.

The most popular games included Ludo King, Bubble Shooter, Candy Crush Saga, Garena Free Fire, Indian Bikes Driving 3D and Call of Duty with male gamers preferring games like BGMI, Free Fire and card games while female gamers preferring casual games like Ludo King, Candy Crush Saga and others.

Currently, India is dubbed as one of the fastest growing gaming markets in the world due to millions of gamers engaging in casual skill-based games on a daily basis. Besides casual gaming, esports is also making its way into the mainstream gaming market.

Many of the organizers are hosting esports tournaments on a regular basis with participation from prominent professionals from around the country. The recent temporary unban of BGMI also created hype in the gaming community with Skyesports recently concluding a BGMI tournament called Skyesports Champions Series (SCS) with a prize pool of Rs 25 lakh.

Skyesports also recently announced India’s first-ever franchise-based esports league called Skyesports Masters featuring a prize pool of Rs 2 crore, the qualifiers for which are currently underway.