Are You Game

For The Esports Boom In India?

- PAROMITA GUPTA

In a country where cricket is worshiped in every sense, one virtual sport is rising rapidly to captivate the young and upcoming generations. A new breed of athletes is emerging—esports athletes. And esports is no longer limited to niche-elite crowds with high-tech gadgets and settings, a simpleton boy of 15 years with a penchant for gaming can become a big-time esports player with the opportunities presented by esports start-ups in the country. While online gaming and real money gaming startups and enthusiasts are facing a setback with 28 per cent GST, Esports, on the other hand, esports is thriving with positive policies and announcements by the government. The three tend to be confused with each other. Online gaming refers to interacting with video games at an informal level, real money gaming (RMG) are online games which requires users to make a deposit in cash or kind with expectations of earning winnings. On the other hand, esports refers to skilled athletes competing, individually or in teams, in tournaments for prize and recognition. While all esports are online video games, not all online video games are esports. Some of the popular esports games include Counter-Strike, Fortnite and Valorant.

INDIA AND ESPORTS : In December 2022, the Government of India officially recognized e-sports in the country and declared that it will now be part of the “multisports event” category in the country. Bifurcating on the basis of platforms, esports is categorized into PC-based, console-based and mobile and tablets, of which the latter two have dominance.