India Emerges as a New Frontier in the Gaming Industry

The Indian gaming industry experienced a significant turning point in 2018 with the launch of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, which marked a shift in the market towards more diverse gaming experiences beyond real-money gaming titles and casual games. According to Sameer Desai, an independent consultant, 'That game really changed perceptions and even the market entirely because before that, gaming had been very polarising.' The combination of cheaper smartphones, data, and the introduction of the Unified Payments Interface in 2016 have contributed to the growth of the gaming industry in India. Sharmilee Daru, founder of 4WD Gaming, describes India as 'a mobile-first market' with a growing taste for Western-developed games. The market is expected to cross the $1 billion revenue mark next year, with forecasts suggesting it will reach $9.2 billion by FY 2029. However, the success of foreign games in India has inspired local developers to create their own midcore shooters, such as FAU-G Domination. Despite the dominance of real-money gaming, there has been a noticeable shift towards midcore and action games. The Indian gaming market is varied, with anime and cricket video games being extremely popular. Indie developers face challenges in getting attention for their games, and securing finance from Indian investors can be difficult due to a lack of understanding of the gaming industry. There is also a lack of government support for games companies, but various Indian games developers are working to change that. The talent pipeline is another challenge, with few universities or colleges offering games-specific courses. However, there is increasing support from platform holders, and publishers need to be aware of the unique characteristics of the Indian market, including localized pricing and the diversity of the country.