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India, a diverse country once largely overlooked by video game developers due to its complex regulatory challenges, has experienced a remarkable transformation in the past five-or-so years. The country is now seeing rapid growth in both the number of gamers and game development studios.
One of the key reasons behind this growth is the improvement in technology infrastructure, especially the availability of inexpensive internet.
“What they did to build a user base was smart,” said Romil Mehta, a video game lawyer based in India. “Initially, one of the largest telecom companies offered free internet for a whole year. After that, they kept the pricing so affordable that it still gave users easy access to internet. This was a huge boost to the various online industries, including video games industry.”
Affordable smartphones have also played an extremely significant role. As mobile phones become cheaper and more accessible, the mobile gaming market is expanding in India. The mobile gaming is more matured than the PC or console games markets. The number of players, studios, app downloads, and in-app purchases are all trending upwards. Like in many other parts of the world, India’s gaming scene also saw a boost during the COVID-19 pandemic, which introduced many new users to video games.
“Studios and publishers are now exploring partnerships in India, or even setting up their own offices here,” Mehta noted.
It wasn’t always this way. For a long time, India had a reputation for being difficult for foreign game studios to move into, bogged down by regulatory hurdles, extensive paperwork, and a complex incorporation process. But that’s changing. According to Mehta, the Indian government has started offering more incentives to encourage gaming and esports and has actively promoted the gaming industry. The presence of major players opening offices in India has also made a difference, attracting more international interest.
“There are also a lot more local indie studios emerging, which is really great to see,” he added.
The cultural perception of gaming is shifting too. “When I was a kid, gaming was seen as a taboo. People would say things like, ‘Don’t waste your time on games, they’ll lead you nowhere,'” Mehta said. “But over the last five to ten years, streamers are earning millions by playing and reviewing games on platforms like YouTube, Discord and Twitch. Esports is becoming more popular too.”
“The industry has matured, and it’s growing at a much faster pace than before. The future looks really exciting for gaming in India,” Mehta said.
