The Indian esports industry has witnessed a significant growth in recent years. With the rise of PC gaming in India and relentless efforts from various Tournament Organizers, there is a lot in store for 2023.
Franchising - A New Hope?
A key trend that is expected to gain momentum in Indian esports in 2023 is the dawn of Esports leagues and tournaments. One of the top tournament organizers from India, “Sky Esports” has announced India’s first ever franchise based Esports league for CS:GO- "Sky Esports Masters".
The Skyesports Masters features INR 2 Crore in prize pool and will have qualifiers that take place in 20 cities across India. Once the qualifiers conclude, eight franchised teams will get to pick up the best-performing players and add them to their existing rosters which may feature Indian and international Counter-Strike pros. Then they will compete in a three month long LAN event in Mumbai.
This further strengthens the argument that with the rise of leagues and tournaments, Indian gamers will have more opportunities to compete on a global stage.
Catalyst for Growth
The Indian Government recognizing esports as a legitimate sport could well be the catalyst for the growth of gaming in India. On 23rd December 2022, The President of India Droupadi Murmu released a notification to the Cabinet Secretariat stating that esports in India shall be a part of "multi-sports events" under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Adding to that, the AVGC Promotion Task Force has also submitted a report summarizing the challenges, opportunities and recommended steps the Government of India can take to foster the industry.
This step in the right direction will pave a path for more organizations to step up and invest in the growth of esports sector in India which will further strengthen our gaming ecosystem.
With more teams and organizers putting efforts to develop the Indian Gaming Community, the future of Indian esports for 2023 and beyond looks very bright. Within no time India will be amongst the top global gaming nations.
