India, a rising behemoth in Esports

If you grew up in the 2000s with access to a computer, you probably have spent hours trudging around Counter Strike’s Dust or as a hero in Dota. You might have even jumped into a PUBG lobby or two. Apparently, you were only scratching the surface of the Esports iceberg.

These engaging video and mobile games, once the repugnance of parents worldwide, are now titles that are medal events in the Hangzhou Asian Games. India will be competing in four titles, namely DOTA2, FIFA 22, Street Fighter V, and League of Legends.

For the uninitiated, Esports is a burgeoning industry worth $1.72 billion, with the potential for six-time growth by the decade’s end. Having been officially recognised by the government of India as a multi sport event last year, Esports and streaming video games to an audience is now a rewarding career option for youngsters.

Recently, the S8UL Gaming Festival, a first-of-its-kind experiential gaming fest, took place in Bengaluru’s Manpho Convention Centre. Organized by S8UL Esports, the nation’s foremost Esports Club, The two-day event drew in over 13,000 attendees from the Indian Gaming community. Thirty S8UL Gamers graced the occasion.

The event created a splash online as well. Such well-attended festivals highlight the rising popularity of video games, and Esports can bank on such a fillip as the competitive nature brings the best out of all participants.

Animesh Agarwal aka 8Bit Thug, the Co-Founder and CEO of S8UL Esports, sheds more light on the break-neck rise of Esports and streaming in India, “On an average, a BGMI (PUBG) athlete can earn over (Rs) a lakh per month, excluding additional costs. Gaming creators with close to a million followers can make several lakhs in a month. However, the gaming industry in India is still evolving, and to reach its full potential, it requires more exposure and proper infrastructure to create a sustainable ecosystem for players and creators to thrive.”

Naman ‘Mortal’ Mathur, Co-owner of S8UL Esports adds, “In Indian households, nearly 400 million gamers play daily, spanning across casual, hyper-casual, and hardcore gaming. Many users are interested in competitive gaming and joining organisations like ours. By 2030, we anticipate more expansions and growth in the gaming sector. According to the latest FICCI - EY report, the number of Esports players across all competitive level games in India increased from 600,000 in 2021 to 1 million in 2022, and it is expected to reach 2.5 million this year, so we can see more coming in. Esports is also set to become a Rs 1,100 crore industry by 2025.

“The government recognition was a game-changer after six-seven years of struggle,” says Lokesh Suji, the director of the Esports Federation of India and the Vice-president of the Asian Esports Federation, told DH. “If anybody is involved in playing a video game, it is not looked upon very positively and not encouraged by parents. But there is a clear distinction between video games and Esports. Not all video games are Esports game titles. Playing these Esports game titles with the potential of winning a medal for the country has made it very inviting.”

The National Esports Championships decide who represents India in events such as the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. Suji says, “representing the country in this platform could be a once in a lifetime opportunity. This is something the young generation must understand.”

Suji believes that Esports will become a medal event in the Commonwealth Games and Olympics very soon. “Very recently, Olympics began Esports Week, and that was a preliminary initiative that the Olympics is planning. IOC already has an Esports enlargement group, which are figuring out mechanisms on how Esports can be included in the Games,” Suji gushes.

While India did taste success, a bronze in the Commonwealth Esports Championships Dota 2 open category, Suji is of the notion that medals should translate to money for that athlete.

“The medal which we won was for Dota, which is nearly dead in India. Had this medal been in FIFA or PUBG or Clash Royale, you would have seen brands coming forward and supporting these medal winners.

“That is where the money comes in. If we can create or replicate the Neeraj Chopra model, then definitely, both the attraction of national pride and money becomes the Sone Pe Suhaga (the cherry on the cake). We are very confident that a transformation will happen.”

How can we create a supply chain of talented individuals across titles, ready to be called into action?

“If India needs to do something drastic, first thing is proper coaching for our Esports athletes. We also need to have a good amount of sustainable Esports events with considerable prize money. For the GAMERS8 event in Riyadh, the Saudi Government has created a massive Esports infrastructure with stadiums, training facilities, international coaches. The prize money was $45 million! That is where the fire, rigour and passion will arise,” Suji offers.

“India is a digital nation and Esports is a digital product. With the right set of mindset the right coaching and skills, we will be in a position to win medals in international events,” Suji concludes.