National Sports Day: The Rise Of Esports In India

As India celebrates National Sports Day today, it is indeed a big day for the esports community in India, especially, now that esports is being considered into the realm of sports. Being the newest addition to the sports ecosystem, esports is undoubtedly disrupting traditional norms and making waves all across the country and also globally. 

The Rise of Esports

Esports meets the need for great success at large international competitions, which is necessary for any sport to earn public acceptance and legitimacy. India has etched its name on the world Esports map recently with impressive bronze medals in the DOTA 2 championship at the Commonwealth Games 2022 and the Hearthstone title at the 2018 Asian Games, where Esports was a demonstration event.

Next, the biggest esports event on cards for Indis is the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, where the nation is prepared to compete in four different video games: DOTA 2, FIFA, Street Fighter, and League of Legends. Additionally, here Esports will make its debut as a legitimate medal sport. In relation to this, the Sports Ministry has also officially approved the 15-member team’s participation in the illustrious competition as the nation’s representative. This is a significant step in recognizing the growing relevance of viewing Esports as a mainstream sport.

While the government’s official recognition of Esports as a multi-sport event gave it the status of a sport, the government’s amendments to the Information and Technology Act to clearly distinguish Esports from online gaming increased its legitimacy in the eyes of the general public.

Major international competitions and mainstream media have both taken an interest in esports. With major sports networks like Star Sports and streaming goliaths like JioCinema seeing the potential of the sector by airing Esports events to a wider audience, the reach of competitive gaming has expanded beyond Esports specialized platforms.

Talking about the inspiring journey of Esports from being considered a hobby to an official sport, Mr. Lokesh Suji, Director of Esports Federation of India and Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) stated, “Within a year, Esports has transcended the perception of entertainment to reach the level of competitive excellence. We are extremely thankful to the government for separating Esports from the umbrella of online gaming and is not considered to be a part of iGaming, rummy, gambling, etc. With our talented athletes striving for a medal in this year’s Asian Games and the official inclusion of Esports as a medal sport for Asian Games 2026 as well, it will help in educating the general public about its significance even more. Looking at the impressive growth trajectory of the ecosystem, we eagerly await its flourishment in the country.”

A solid foundation has been laid at the grassroots level for gamers to pursue esports as a viable career option, which has increased not just its popularity and cultural acceptance but also its recognition as a mainstream sport.

The number of Esports players across all competitive level games in India climbed from 600,000 in 2021 to 1 million in 2022, and it is anticipated to reach 2.5 million in 2023, according to the “Windows of Opportunity” report on India’s Media and Entertainment business by FICCI-EY.

With advances in artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and Web3 gaming, the landscape of Esports is changing as it continues to grow. Esports competitions are held in stadiums, degrees and courses in the discipline are increasingly widespread in educational institutions, and even states are setting up their own Esports academies. So it is reasonable to assume that India’s video gaming future is promising.