India projected to have 440 million online gamers by 2022, over 17% growth from 2020: Report

India might as well be in the midst of a revolution in terms of the dominance of online gaming, and the popularity of mobile phone gaming in particular. For a long time, gaming was a particularly enjoyable hobby in the nation, but ever since the advent of online games on smartphones, this growth has been nothing short of monumental.

Console and PC gaming in India have been growing at a steady rate, but they are dwarfed massively by the number of players on handheld platforms such as mobile phones.

Gaming on mobile phones has evolved out of the rudimentary stages of platformers and endless runners. Smartphones today can support massive games with detailed visuals and expansive game modes.

India could have 440 million online gamers by 2022

Image credits: wikipedia

According to a recent report, India has roughly 300 million online players as of the fiscal year of 2019. That number is expected to grow up to 440 million players by 2022.

This growth presents many opportunities for studios and publishers to capitalise on a market that is primed and ready. Due to the sophistication of mobile hardware, smartphones are now considered legitimate handheld gaming platforms.

Overall, India ranked the highest in growth in online game downloads on app stores, with a growth rate of 165 per cent between 2016 and 2018.

Gamers today have several avenues to explore, such as streaming on platforms like YouTube or Facebook Gaming, as a means to monetise their hobby. Also, several esports leagues have popped up in a bid to capitalise on the popularity of mobile gaming.

These are extremely positive signs that India might just be adopting a gaming culture, which is also somewhat becoming a viable career option. Be it in terms of either competitive gaming, streaming or even game development.