As it is said gaming is the next big thing in India. Is the future of gaming in India headed in the right direction? Or are we still solely dependent upon a few games? Since 2015 gaming studios have increased by 5x the amount. With over 17 million viewers of Esports, we need to know the perspectives of professionals like Tarun on the same.
To answer all these questions and more like this, the owner and founder of Ultimate Battle Mr. Tarun Gupta will tell us more in his interview. So, here is a written format of the conversation we had about gaming in India and its growth.
If we compare the scenario of Gaming in the West then we will find a great environment of entrepreneurship in Gaming over there. What do you think can be the best solution for it in India to promote that gaming culture?
Esports is already an established industry outside India with players hopping on the bandwagon to establish their brands, IPs, and other portfolios. It’s giving a boost to the competitive gaming ecosystem. On the contrary, India has grown to be a mobile-centric esports ecosystem that has its perks and issues. Due to the massive adoption of mobile phones, the number of online gamers has increased substantially but the basic knowledge of what Esports is is not prevalent among those gamers.
A clear distinction between Esports and casual gaming will help the audience understand Esports better. It will also encourage the acceptance of esports socially. There is an utmost need to target the grassroots players who compete at the college and school levels and provide them with the required framework to grow and showcase their talent.
In India, there are college esports clubs, but recognition is not provided by the college or if recognized then there is no financial help from the Admin body. How can we solve this problem?
The Esports industry is becoming more lucrative and new team organizations and talent management companies are cropping up. Players who are pursuing esports as a career need to actively look for brands and organizations to sponsor them. Recognition and reward will follow as players hone their skills and showcase their talents in Esports leagues.
Growing recognition and awareness about Esports, among gamers and the masses, will also help Esports to get social acceptance and receive capital investments from tech venture capital funds and big brands.
The streaming culture in India is more tending towards entertainment, not top-class gaming performance. How did you see it? It’s good or bad or just neutral?
Esports is still at its nascent stage in India. We need to expand the audience size with gamers who love competitive gaming and want to play and win Esports titles. Streaming culture is helping the Esports ecosystem by bringing in more audiences and giving Esports extended exposure.
As gamers keep watching the games, be it for fun or learning, they will tend to watch it at a more skilled level and thus giving a boost to the top-class gaming performances in Esport League Events.
PUBG or BGMI is known to introduce this esports nature in India. Other games are on the rise too but still, we lack recognition of other games. What could be the solution?
Launch of PUBG: Mobile(now BGMI) in India garnered a massive player base due to its in-game dynamics which was new to the mobile-centric Indian market. Such a huge player base brought interested game publishers and event organizers on board who turned Esports into a culture.
The following garnered by the game, its in-game mechanics, along with publishers and organizers pushing for a competitive ecosystem make it a successful Esports title game.
What kind of planning does the government have to introduce an education program for gamers to learn gaming and streaming and then treating it as a diploma or degree?
The government needs to regulate the Industry by defining Esports and providing it required legal and regulatory frameworks. Recognition by the government will open avenues for esports athletes to focus on gaming and make a career out of it.
Streaming and Casting are already a part of established courses. Recognizing players will give exposure to esports and help to grow the industry at scale. Find more about the thoughts of Tarun Gupta from our interview below.
Is the government planning to introduce a kind of environment where budding gamers or the new gamers could have a platform for their growth?
The government recently announced game development based on Indian ethics and mythology. The idea will help to give exposure to Indian culture on a global level. Our Indian game developers are developing several dynamic games for our gaming ecosystem. However, there is no official statement by the government on plans to build an Esports ecosystem for gamers as of now.
If you look towards the west, you could find the rate of investment in Gaming teams or Esports teams is comparatively very high. What do you think about it and a solution to the problem?
The Indian esports scene has grown substantially after covid but it’s still at its nascent stage. Investments in teams or players by brands and organizations and social following come at the vantage point of popularity. Indian esports spectatorship has grown over 20 million and is estimated to grow above 85 million by 2024. This will have a major impact on more fundings to esports teams and organizations.
How do you look towards competitive gaming and streaming or entertainment gaming? As an Investor where will you invest and why?
Gaming for entertainment or competitions, both are adding to the growth of the esports ecosystem in India. Indian Esports ecosystem will get more exposure when more players will enjoy the game and watch top skilled competitive gaming as game enthusiasts. The current market is growing towards competitive gaming/streaming which we see as a good venture option.
What do you think about Tarun Gupta in his interview? What are your thoughts on gaming in India? Do let us know in the comments down below.
Many gamers with potential don’t have a platform to showcase their talent. Do you think a tournament like IPL in Gaming with all games included not only BGMI or Valorant or CS-GO…Will help the community of Gamers grow?
Currently, there is a marginal divide between professional and grassroots players in terms of opportunity and a central platform to compete and grow. We launched Ultimate Battle with the sole idea to provide a centralized platform for gamers to showcase their skills and grow as esports athletes.
IPL is a cricket league with a unique framework. It is not designed for a game or sport that is at its nascent stage. At Ultimate Battle, we are all set to launch the All India Esports League(AIEL), which will feature top Esports title games like BGMI, Free Fire, and many more including Chess. We will not just be inviting the top professional players/teams, but there will also be PAN India qualifiers for grassroots players. It will give them a chance to compete, show their talent and gain recognition and rewards.
How will the BGMI release change the esports scenario in India?
BGMI is an extremely popular game with a huge fan following. Publishers play a key role in establishing a competitive esports ecosystem. Krafton, in its early days, was very forward with this and the same seems to be the current scenario with the announcement of the BGMI India Series with a prize pool of Rs. 1crore. Esports Leagues are not only adding to the growth of the game but also turning gaming into a lucrative option to pursue professionally.
We expect more game publishers to come forward and establish their games in the Esports scene which will boost the Esports ecosystem as a whole.
This is how the Founder of Ultimate Battle-Tarun Gupta thinks about the future of gaming in India as mentioned in his interview. We, in conjunction with Tarun, hope that the future of gaming fares brighter.
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