Esports: How India Taking Part In Commonwealth, Asian Games Signify A Paradigm Shift

The growth trajectory of esports in India will present a variety of career options like esports marketing, coaching, esports journalists, game designers, etc.

The evolution of the esports sector in India over the last decade has been monumental, to say the least. What started with competitive gaming that was only visible in college fests or local tournaments in the late 2000s is now a Rs 250-crore industry that is home to more than 600,000 players and 100,000 teams. The numbers undoubtedly sound very appealing but for someone who isn't familiar with esports, you need something more than that to enlighten them about its significance. This is where India's participation in multiple esports events at this year's Commonwealth Esports Championships and the Asian Games 2022 comes in.

This isn't India's first time competing in an Esports event at the Asian Games though, as the country's first such participation was in the 2018 edition of the tournament that was held in Jakarta. India was among the 18 participants of the inaugural Esports demonstration event and had managed to secure bronze in Hearthstone, courtesy of Tirth Mehta.

But the stakes will be higher this time round as esports is going to be conducted as an officially recognised medal sport. India will be represented by its athletes at the prestigious continental tournament in five different games — FIFA 22, Street Fighter V, Hearthstone, League of Legends, and DOTA 2.

ALSO SEE: Commonwealth Esports Championships 2022: India Defeats New Zealand To Win Bronze In DOTA 2

Apart from the Asian Games, esports was also included as a pilot event in the Commonwealth Games this year with the Indian contingent competing in DOTA 2 and Rocket League. Prior to that, the International Olympics Committee (IOC) previously organised the Virtual Olympic Series (Esports Tournament), before the Tokyo Olympics 2020 while esports has been included in OCA events since 2007.

Additionally, around 46 countries like Korea, Thailand, Finland, Italy, Brazil, Nepal, Indonesia, Turkmenistan, Macedonia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Africa, Serbia Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Georgia have also recognised esports as regular sport.

The fact that official bodies are letting Indian esports athletes showcase their talents in globally recognised tournaments definitely highlights a shift in the paradigm of the sport.

Potential for growth

Just like traditional sports, competitive gaming is also associated with extreme levels of competition, sincere practice, intense pressure, adrenaline rush, quick reflexes, and a set of fans passionately following the sport. These terminologies aren't the only similarity between the two however as the potential for revenue growth between the two is also seen as identical.

The overall viewership of esports has skyrocketed in the past few years with more than 500 million esports fans in 152 countries watching the various tournaments online through various streaming platforms. YouTube, Facebook Gaming, Loco, and Rooter are leading the video game streaming show in India. Streamers have been able to monetise their content and rake up good monies. Streaming today is a viable career option.

Growing popularity in India

According to the latest data from YouGov Global Profiles, one in four global consumers (25 percent) spends at least 7 hours of their week playing video games on their mobile phones. In India, 19 percent of the population spends between 1-7 hours playing mobile games in a week and 11 percent between 7-14 hours.

Cheap and widely accessible mobile data and pocket-friendly smartphones have been the reason behind these numbers increasing rapidly. With a large number of people turning towards mobile gaming, India has become the largest mobile gaming market in terms of app downloads. Hence it is clear to see why mobile-centered games dominate the esports scene here.

ALSO SEE: India's DOTA 2 Captain Moin Ejaz Shares How To Make A Career Out Of Playing Video Games

The number of esports athletes and teams in the country has also doubled in size post-COVID. People from all age groups have been attracted by the prominent tournaments on national and international platforms offering lucrative prize benefits. Certain esports titles tournaments have announced a massive prize pool of up to Rs 2 crores.

These factors are a major reason why the 2021 E&Y report titled 'Ready, Set, Game ON!' expects the market size of this industry to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46 percent and reach Rs 1,100 crore by 2025.

The substantial investments in esports aren’t limited to only tournaments, platforms, or communities however as the most important part of the esports ecosystem — its gamers and content creators — have also enticed a lot of brands and subsequent sponsorships. The Indian esports industry also witnessed multiple Indian multiplex partnerships in the past with INOX Leisure and PVR bringing the action of esports to their cinemas. 

Various rappers, sportsmen, actors, and other famous personalities are also looking at esports as a way of increasing their engagement with the audience and generating revenue. Rapper Raftaar partnered with Fortnite for its Bhangra Boogie Cup, cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal signed up with Rooter as a content creator while Tiger Shroff is a brand ambassador for Esports Premier League. This is another example of how the esports market in India has been pop culturised and also of how immense it has become.

What all can be classified as esports?

One of the primary barriers in India is the confusion over what can and cannot be classified as esports. Competitive esports titles like Dota, FIFA, Counter-Strike, or Fortnite are often put in the same boat as games like Teen Patti, Rummy, Poker, and Fantasy Sports, which are more casual, chance-based titles, sometimes allowing players to make real-life money. These games can’t be called ‘esports’ as esports (Electronic sports) is a competitive sport where athletes use their physical and mental abilities to compete in certain genres of video games in a virtual, electronic environment.

Esports as a career

All of these prospects of the esports industry that include a huge amount of earnings as well as the recognition that comes with it, is prompting the Indian youth to take up esports as a serious career option. The growth trajectory of esports in India isn't going to see a major decline in the foreseeable future and so it presents a variety of career options like esports marketing, coaching, esports journalists, game designers, etc.

With French President Emmanuel Macron also publicly stating that he wants esports to be included in the 2024 Paris Olympics, it is about time that competitive gaming gets featured in the Olympics and the upcoming Commonwealth Games as well. In the probability of that happening it is a no-brainer that India will be at the forefront to be involved in it.

The promise that the esports sector shows in terms of revenue markets and its international recognition and inclusion as an official sport makes it apparent that it is going to be one of the most booming industries in India this decade.

The author is the Director of Esports Federation of India (ESFI), and the Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF). ESFI is a full member of the International Esports Federation (IESF), Global Esports Federation (GEF), and Asian Esports Federation (AESF).

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