Esports Growth in India: A Case Study of Market Drivers, Participation Patterns and Regulatory Change

Author

A.Neelendra Sai, Dr. S. Chandra Sekhar


Abstract

 India's gaming community is one of the largest in the world, and competitive gaming (esports) is emerging from the fringes to be recognized as a sport and an industry to invest in. This case study examines the development of esports in India, combining a review of secondary market and policy evidence, and a quantitative examination of participation patterns. The Indian esports market is estimated to be in the range of USD 0.17 to 0.25 billion by 2025 and is expected to grow at an average rate of 18 to 23 per cent through the early 2030s, according to the industry estimates. We used an illustrative simulated survey dataset (n = 300) to illustrate a reproducible analytical workflow and tested five hypotheses, which were tested in MS-Excel using a chi-square test of independence, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and multiple linear regression. Career interest in esports was associated with region, χ²(3) = 15.92, p = .001, Cramér's V = 0.23, and following esports was associated with gender, χ²(1) = 8.45, p = .004. Mean engagement differed by region, F(3, 296) = 5.57, p < .001, and by primary platform, F(2, 297) = 16.74, p < .001. Age, weekly gaming time, internet speed, and monthly gaming costs account for 55.5% of the variance in engagement, F(4, 295) = 91.95, p < .001, with gaming hours and internet speed being the most important predictors of engagement. We explore the implications of this for tournament operators, brands, institutions and policy makers, especially after the promulgation of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, which legalised esports and banned online money games.

The results indicated that the regulation of online gaming in India is still fairly young and needs to be developed further.The findings showed that the regulation of online gaming in India is still in its infancy and requires further development.


Keywords

Indian esports market growth, • Mobile gaming boom India, Esports monetization strategies, Indian gamer demographics, Mobile-first esports culture, Esports regulation India



Full Text:

Download Paper PDF


References


Ahlawat & Associates. (2025, November 4). The Indian Online Gaming Act 2025 and the regulation of esports in India.

Coherent Market Insights. (2026). The India esports market size, trends and forecast, 2026 to 2033 is prepared by Coherent Market Insights.Coherent Market Insights has prepared India esports market size, trends and forecast, 2026 to 2033.

Cohen, J. (1988). The second edition of Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Drishti IAS. (2025). Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025: https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/promotion-and-regulation-of-online-gaming-act,-2025

Expert Market Research. (2026). The India esports market report and forecast 2026 to 2035 is provided by Expert Market Research.Expert Market Research provides the India esports market report and forecast 2026 to 2035.

Field, A. (2018). Finding statistics in IBM SPSS Statistics 5th Edition. SAGE.

Gaming Pro Max. (2026, April 28). The Indian gaming market is expanding at a rapid rate, with statistics and projections indicating that it will reach a significant size by 2025–2034.

Government of India. (2025). Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 (Act No. 32 of 2025) The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. https://www.meity.gov.in/static/uploads/2025/10/8a7f103cefc68ed8aaa2ebc9a2ed7c13.pdf

Hamari, J. & Sjöblom, M. (2017). What is the definition of eSports and why do people watch it? Internet Research, 27(2), 211-232.

IMARC Group. (2026). India's Esports Market is growing at a faster pace by 2026 and 2034, as per IMRC.As per IMRC, India's Esports Market is expanding at a faster pace till 2026 and 2034.

Jenny, S. E., Manning, R. D., Keiper, M. C., & Olrich, T. W. (2017). Where eSports are in the definition of "sport": Virtual(ly) athletes. Quest, 69(1), 1-18.

Ken Research. (2026). The India esports market share, companies and trends report 2025 to 2031 presents the most up-to-date industry insights covering growth, trends, and forecasts.India esports market share, companies and trends report 2025 to 2031 provides the latest industry insights into growth, trends, and forecasts.

Lexology. (2025, 2026). The Online Gaming Act, 2025 and Draft Rules (esports provisions) have been analysed. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=1c1bf9dd-96f5-4789-ae42-ebbacfbfaee7

Mordor Intelligence. (2026). The India Gaming Market overview and forecast analysis 2031 report provides detailed insights into the gaming sector along with its market trends, offerings, and forecasts.The India Gaming Market overview and forecast analysis 2031 report provides detailed insights into the gaming sector along with its market trends, offerings, and forecasts.

Press Information Bureau. (2026). A new age of online gaming governance. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=158400&ModuleId=3®=3&lang=1

Seo, Y. (2013). Electronic sports: the new marketing environment of the experience economy. Journal of Marketing Management, 29(13-14), 1542-1560.

Taylor, T. L. (2012). 19. The professionalization of computer gaming: raising the stakes. MIT Press.

The Report Cube. (n.d.). The India esports market is growing at a CAGR of 12.4% from 2021 to 2034 and the market size is expected to reach USD 3.6 billion by 2034.

Wagner, M. G. (2006). The scientific applicability of eSports. The 2006 International Conference on Internet Computing.

Share your valuable work from Social Media Buttons