According to a report by ‘Ready. Set. Game on!’ the Indian e-sports industry is predicted to grow by 46% CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate). Esports is a type of sport competition using video games that is organized into multiplayer video games, particularly between professional players.
The industry has been ever-present since its rise in 2012 with the popular online game Counter strike, and ever since it has been rising at a rapid rate in the country. Valued at ₹15.3 billion rupees in 2012 to now being valued at ₹90 billion, with the country’s e-sports value growing faster than the global rate, the prize pool is bound to rise as well.
As growth in the prize pool remains one of the most important factors in attracting new dedicated players, it is estimated that the prize pool will rise to ₹1 billion by 2025. With about 1,50,000 live players and 60,000 teams, e-sports is becoming a feasible career option for the country’s youth. With the increase in the number of live players grows, the viewership will rise as well. Currently being 14 e-sports broadcast platforms, this number is estimated to cross 20 by 2025 and increase the current viewership of 17 million to 85 million viewers.
The e-sports industry is also predicted to provide direct or indirect 11,000 employment opportunities and tournament sponsorship and on-air revenue is bound to increase up to ₹3.5 billion by 2025. Renowned Corporate companies like Tencent, Paytm, and Alibaba have been investing heavily in the e-sports scene after noticing the meteoric rise of the industry in the past few years. The e-sports industry was likely to grow in India considering the impact it has made over other parts of the world. However, the process of growth is likely to be facilitated due to the pandemic. Since other sporting events were not feasible during strict lockdowns, e-sports thrived due to the remote nature of games.