Asia
How the Business of Esports is a Chance to be Grabbed in India
The Indian Esports industry is growing rapidly. Growth and penetration of internet infrastructure along with the accessibility of affordable gaming devices have contributed to the rise of Esports in India. Currently, there are over 150 million esports gamers in India which is expected to grow to 270 million by 2024. Contrary to the statistics of gamers around the world, India has grown into a mobile dominant esports ecosystem due to the increasing interest and ease of accessibility to affordable gaming phones among millennials. With 5g technology on the way, we would see more gamers turning to esports enthusiasts.
If we go by numbers, the Indian Esports industry accounted for 9.13% of aggregated revenue out of the overall online gaming market in FY20 as per the inc42 report. India also saw a huge rise in esports viewership touching 17 million in 2020 which is expected to cross 90 million by 2025.
Business opportunities
From game publishers to end gamers, the whole ecosystem runs at multiple levels which gives a plethora of opportunities for businesses and gamers. Here are some of the possible avenues:
1. Event Organizers:
Esports League IPs are being built for different esports games like PMPL & Free Fire Championship to name a few. Organizing big League events attracts massive participation as well as viewership from gaming enthusiasts and fans of esports entities providing lucrative monetization opportunities with Sponsorship, Media Rights, Ticketing, Merchandise, and more. India has seen brands like Mountain Dew, Poco, Qualcomm, Jio, Intel, and many more sponsoring esports tournaments and teams in recent years.
2. Career Opportunities:
Esports is slowly but steadily turning into a viable career option for many. Esports Athlete as a career has now also become lucrative as multiple Team IPs being launched and new startups are launching their own teams to compete in League events. In addition to that, casters/commentators, video editors, coaches, and streamers, etc. are some great options that you can explore as a career in the Esports industry. Casting Talent/Commentator profile offers the opportunity to talk about the game as it goes on.
3. Professional Team Organizations:
With more leagues and events being hosted we’re seeing esports organizations forming professional teams and coaching them into Esports athletes. Owning an esports team creates an invaluable IP where one can monetize via sponsorships, content, and prize pool.
4. Gaming Cafes
Esports cafes have great potential as they support gamers to play Esports games and tournaments without having expensive and requisite hardware. India has over 350-plus such esports cafes equipped with mandatory infrastructure in place. Recently NVIDIA announced to add up to 100 more cafes to the list.
5. Content Monetization
Esports being a spectator sport attracts millions of players who not only play the game but also watch online gameplay on streaming platforms along with keeping up to date with the latest happenings in esports. With the high demand for quality content, monetization via advertisement and patronage has been the bread and butter of the industry.
Investing in Esports is a Viable Business Option
Esports in India is an opportunity waiting to be grabbed, and a lot is already happening in the space.
Increase in Esports League Prize Pool
One of the key reasons behind the skyrocketing popularity of Esports is the prize money attached to it. Since 2016, the prize money given to the players participating in the leagues and tournaments has increased manifold. This has solely attracted a huge audience base In India to play esports and win big.
Prize pools paid out from Indian tournaments saw an increase of over 180%, from just above $500K USD in 2018 to over $1.5M in 2019 with international events like ESL One Mumbai, COBX Masters, and DreamHack Delhi happening in India. The domestic prize pool surge has been fuelled by the popularity of the games such as Free Fire, PUBG Mobile (now introduced as BGMI), and other multiplayer action or strategy games.
Recent Investments in Esports
As the demand for competitive gaming is growing, venture capital firms and investors are showing interest in investing in Esports. Recently, Krafton has done an equity investment of Rs 154 crore in Nodwin Gaming along with $9 million as seed funding to Loco – a game streaming platform popular among streamers. This shows positive growth and opens the gateway for other VCs and firms to look at investment opportunities in the esports ecosystem in India.
Esports in India: The Way Forward
Esports is already an established industry in countries like the US, Japan, and China. India has the caliber and capacity to become the global leader in Esports, and it is about to explode.
By: Mr. Tarun Gupta, Founder, Ultimate Battle, India’s first-ever one-stop online esports platform.
Max Level will work closely with Riot’s India and South Asia teams to amplify brand campaigns, regional esports initiatives, product updates, and community-first storytelling in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and other South Asian markets. The collaboration aims to build authentic, culturally resonant narratives that reflect Riot’s mission as a player-focused organisation.
The win follows a competitive multi-agency pitch process that saw Max Level selected from among several top PR agencies. The decision was based on Max Level’s deep understanding of the gaming and esports audience, its creative-first approach, and its proven ability to drive conversation and cultural relevance.
Siddharth Nayyar, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Max Level, said, “Winning the PR mandate for Riot Games is a defining moment for us. Riot has not only shaped the modern multiplayer era but also built global communities around player-first values. We’re thrilled to help expand that legacy in India and South Asia, a region that’s growing and evolving at a breakneck pace.”
Max Level’s mandate includes ongoing campaign support for key products and IPs, regional amplification of Riot’s global esports events, as well as strategic counsel on community engagement and creator collaborations. The agency’s track record with brands like NODWIN Gaming, SuperGaming, CyberPowerPC India, KRAFTON, ESL FACEIT Group among others makes it uniquely positioned to drive culturally relevant PR in gaming and esports.
According to the Lumikai State of India Gaming Report 2024, India’s gaming market reached $3.1 billion in FY23, with projections to hit $7.5 billion by FY28, fueled by a base of over 568 million gamers, nearly half of whom are paying users. The report also highlights how India is now the largest consumer of mobile games globally, creating an immense opportunity for publishers like Riot to scale their reach and community.
The post Max Level Wins PR Mandate for Riot Games in India and South Asia appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The next highly anticipated gaming event on EGT Digital’s calendar is SiGMA Asia, which will be held on June 3rd and 4th in Manila. Together with EGT, the iGaming provider will welcome visitors at booth 1113 to reveal its impressive selection of innovations and bestsellers.
The guests will be able to try out EGT Digital’s wide range of over 140 casino games spanning a variety of themes, as well as further increase their chances of winning with the Bell Link, Clover Chance, High Cash, and Single Progressive jackpots. The 4-level multi-denomination Gods & Kings Link will be presented for the first time locally. It received positive feedback after its recent official debut and is expected to get a warm acceptance also from Asian operators and players. Currently including 3 games: Ape of Luck, Glorious Alexander, and Rise of Ra, with more to join in the coming months, it will offer the show attendees numerous bonuses and a lot of fun.
EGT Digital will also demonstrate X-Nave, its in-house developed “all-in-one” betting platform, providing all the tools and features needed for building and maintaining a successful online business or for improving current performance. X-Nave includes 4 main modules: Sport Product, Gaming Aggregator, CRM Engine, and Payment Gateway. Depending on the operators’ needs, each of them can be used as part of the complete solution or independently, as they can integrate with developments from third-party providers.
“EGT Digital’s products have enormous potential for the local markets, and SIGMA Asia provides us with a great opportunity to showcase them to many potential future clients in the region,” said Mariana Manchina, Director of EGT Philippines. “In addition, we are also looking forward to the prestigious SiGMA Asia Awards, where our company is shortlisted in the Best Sportsbook Provider 2025 and Best Platform 2025 categories.”
The post EGT Digital’s innovative developments to captivate visitors at SiGMA Asia 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
EGT is pleased to announce that it will participate in this year’s edition of SiGMA Asia, which will take place on 03 and 04 June in Manila. “We have prepared a fascinating selection of products developed specifically for the Asian markets, so don’t miss the chance to stop by our booth 1113 and learn more about it!,” said Mariana Manchina, Director of EGT Philippines.
Among the main highlights will be the 4-level progressive Zhao Cai Shuang Yu jackpot, which will be presented to the local gaming audience for the first time. Housed in the popular slot cabinet G 50 J1 Up, it will dive visitors into the world of its 2 games Prosperity Strike and Rising Coins, enabling them to collect special symbols and win at any bet level, with higher stakes increasing the likelihood of hitting the highest Grand level.
Sheng Sheng Bu Xi and Cai Fu Tian Jiang, which have already been successfully installed in various gaming venues across different countries, will also be on display. They will invite the guests to embark on captivating adventures that will reward them with riches and lots of fun. Numerous attractive bonus features will add even more thrill to the game, providing additional winning opportunities.
The top-performing G 50 C Up and G 50 J2 Up cabinets and the vast diversity of the General Series multigames will complement EGT’s slot display.
The company will present its ETG developments as well. The attendees will be able to try out the GS 32 T and S 32 T terminals, which feature frameless displays for crystal-clear visuals, numerous ergonomic functionalities, and enormous flexibility, allowing them to participate in endless configurations. The G RSA, EGT’s compact Standalone Automatic Roulette center, will also demonstrate its seamless connectivity to all the company’s play stations. The option to add an American roulette wheel further enriches the gaming choice and guarantees an engaging player experience.
EGT Digital will also showcase its extensive portfolio of iGaming solutions, featuring instant and casino games, jackpot products, as well as the in-house developed “all-in-one” betting platform X-Nave, which comprises four main modules. All this provides operators with a complete solution for building and maintaining a successful online business.
Ms. Manchina concluded: “SIGMA Asia is one of the most important gaming events in the region and I am glad that we will take part in it once again. Our participation in the previous 2 editions was very fruitful, having brought us many valuable new contacts and the opportunity to present our high-potential products to the key players in the local markets. I believe that our performance in 2025 will be the same, and it may even be better. This year, we are even more excited because EGT is a finalist in the SiGMA Asia Awards, where we will compete for the accolade in the Best Land-based Game Feature category.”
The post EGT’s Asian-themed products to make a splash at SiGMA Asia 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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