Gone are the days when sports used to be solely focused on athletic matters on the cricket wicket or the football field. Today, esports are dominating the lives of millions of young players who want to use their free time to hone their skills and sharpen their reaction times.
While it’s easy to say that this is a consequence of smartphones and WiFi, a deeper look at this booming industry is truly insightful. Let’s take a look at what’s going on so that we can answer the key questions that are no doubt on the tip of your tongue.
What is the current status of Indian esports?
Mobile penetration is very high in India, as is the proliferation of high-speed WiFi. Add this to a rising acceptance of esports as a legitimate competitive pursuit — rather than something that is just about ‘playing games’ online — and the country has changed esports into a very popular hobby.Games like PUBG Mobile and Free Fire are driving a surge in highly skilled players, with millions of others tuning in to watch tournaments streamed live online. As corporations began to take notice of this new audience, they started to add sponsorship. This then created the professional esports landscape we have today where players can win enough prize money to focus on their games full time. But it hasn’t always been this way.
The evolution of Indian esports
Go back to the previous decade and you will see LAN cafes and gaming houses on virtually every city block in the more tech-savvy areas. Those looking to embark on exciting multiplayer game sessions would meet locally and challenge one another to rack up the most points or highest score.While there were no streaming services to take these exploits to a national audience, it laid the foundations for competitive gameplay. Today, there are a growing number of streaming platforms and dedicated physical venues that allow live crowds to watch the action on the big screen. Exactly what’s needed if esports in India continues to gain more and more respect and recognition from the mainstream.
The future potential of Indian esports
An active player count of over 500 million people in India means that is very much set to become the beating heart of competitive esports over the course of the next 10 years. A detailed study on playing habits found that esports players are most likely to stick with games that gain a critical mass of players which in turn leads to more streaming traffic, bigger sponsorship deals, and more lucrative prize money.What will be particularly interesting is to see how esports evolves in three key areas, namely:
- Sponsorship opportunities resulting from increasing levels of streaming traffic. Not only does the presence of sponsors add legitimacy to an esports tournament by giving it a professional look and feel, but it’s also one of the main contributors to the prize money pot
- Lucrative streaming deals, rather than ad-hoc services for each tournament, may soon be the norm as larger platforms see the value in offering esports. The beauty of this is that it will then connect mainstream and casual players to the vibrant world of esports, bringing even more players into the fold as a result
- Athlete endorsements are another interesting thing to look out for because they will show whether or not esports are pushing over into the mainstream. Once these types of tie-ins become the norm, it will be safe to say that esports has well and truly arrived as a widely accepted competitive pastime
What’s a typical esports player salary in India?
While the precise amount that any given player will earn is based on their experience, skill, and the game they are playing, there are some rules of thumb that we can work from:- Pro player: 10,000,000+ rupees a year
- Tier 2: 500,000 - 5,000,000 rupees a year
- Tier 3: 300,000 - 600,000 rupees a year
These are attractive levels of income for a generation of new players who may feel like directly exchanging their time for money in the corporate or tech worlds is simply not for them. A workaholic culture amongst the older generation, as well as the rise in hybrid and remote work, has shown young Indians that there are other ways to make money and pay the bills.
The interesting thing is that esports is only one of the ways in which money is increasingly flowing in the online world as young Indians move out of physical office environments. Many are turning to part-time side hustles that allow them to provide their technical expertise on a freelance basis. Others are staying in internships with a view to branching out at a later date. And then there are the visionaries.
Tech startups, such as mobile payment processing apps, social media content tools, and many brand-new casinos for Indian customers have all been started by university students. The era in which Indians would have to find a job for life in the corporate world and lobby constantly for more hours and higher salaries seems to be over.
If you want to follow this movement, there’s something we’re sure you’re about to ask us.
How to join esports in India?
Want to know how to become an esports player in India and start earning real money simply for doing something you know you will always love? We don’t blame you! esports players are routinely making enough money — when they compete at the elite level — to be able to focus on their new career full-time. Add in the rise of sponsorship, streaming, and promotional deals elite players are now starting to sign and you soon see that prize money is far from the only form of income.If you want to join the esports movement in India in 2025, here’s how you can make your dream happen:
- Choose a game that you love enough to dedicate several hours to it every single day — being an esports athlete is all about having fun by doing something you love at the end of the day
- Hone your skills and sharpen up your reaction times with regular gameplay against players of all abilities, and also look online for training drills and supplements you can take to think faster
- Launch a social profile so that you can build a following and then you will have something you can redirect potential sponsors and interested parties to when they ask
- Team up with other aspiring players and start entering local leagues, competitions, and online tournaments so you can put yourself to the test like never before
Now that we’ve covered all of the basics and answered the questions you were curious about, it’s over to you to make your dream happen. You never know, we might just be reporting on your first epic win in the months and years ahead. Good luck!
