Gaming
32 per cent of Indian gamers play daily and 52 per cent play weekly: says ‘For the Game’ report
Mumbai: In an extravagant affair, dentsu Gaming launched its gaming report ‘For the Game’ in collaboration with Indiantelevision.com. The launch took place at The Lalit, Mumbai on 2 December.
Gaming as an industry has grown by leaps and bounds in India and is now being considered as a serious profession. In the last couple of years all kinds of genres of gaming have seen an uptick from real money to casual gaming, fantasy gaming, e-sports seem to have found their share of users as well as revenue.
Looking ahead, gaming arguably offers the best glimpse into the immersive experiences the metaverse promises, and with it, the future of connectivity. Fueled by an ever-growing community of virtual reality (VR) developers and the wider availability of 5G, popular intellectual properties (IPs) will pave the way for mainstream adoption of virtual experiences, both within and beyond gameplay.
The report, ‘For the Game’ demonstrates, using a novel method for the market, that motivation-based segmentation is the most pertinent and efficient way for marketers to comprehend gamers deeply and to acquire insightful information for creative and media planning.
It proves that gaming is a prime environment for brands looking to attract audience attention through quantifiable measurement. The report also looks at how focusing constantly on added value, authenticity, and proximity to gamers may help one develop a continuous brand presence in the gaming industry through time and across contexts.
Carat India CEO & dentsu Gaming India lead Anita Kotwani said, “Gaming’s growing cultural impact, combined with the promise of the metaverse, has generated endless opportunities for advertisers. With the meteoric expansion of e-sports and streaming platforms, gaming has shifted from solitary play to spectator sport. Gaming platforms are now the main avenue for social connections and self-expression. One cannot follow the cookie-cutter approach anymore given the fluidity & dynamism of the industry.”
She added, “dentsu Gaming offers the minds and tools necessary to create and develop strategies that are relevant to the culture, promote it and graduate the brand to be a cultural icon itself. dentsu Gaming was created to deliver the tremendous expansion of gaming needs to our clients through creative partnerships, products, and solutions. We bring together enthusiastic, diversified expertise to help brands add incremental value through mutually beneficial relationships with game publishers and partners. dentsu has access to in-depth gamer audience information via priority data and analytics. Our CCS (Consumer Connection Systems) data platform has been boosted by data fusions of unique bespoke gaming surveys as well as the GWI (Global Web Index) Gaming survey, providing us with advanced gaming audience data from across 24 markets.”
According to the report’s findings, there is a game for everyone. In varying degrees, gaming is consumed across age groups as there is some or the other game available on some or the other device. People can choose their own devices, genre, and platform. The choices are virtually unlimited.
The COVID-19 pandemic has acted as the biggest recruiter in the gaming pool. Around 45 per cent of the Indian population started playing games during this period. Cheaper internet and one’s need to kill time and connect with people were the biggest drivers.
‘Real Money Game’ revenues currently constitute 57 per cent of market size but future growth is projected to be driven by in-app purchases growing at a 34 per cent CAGR. There were 120 million paying users in FY’ 22, which represents a whopping 24 per cent conversion rate.
Gaming-related content is on its way to be mainstream content. Gaming-related web series, merchandise, fashion, and music are all indicators of gaming culture making its way into the day-to-day lives of people.
Across the nine global markets used in the report’s segmentation, CCS x GWI data shows that 34 per cent of gamers play daily and 46 per cent play weekly. Whereas, in India, 32 per cent of gamers play daily and 52 per cent play weekly.
People across generations exhibit gaming habits. Among Gen Z gamers, 24 per cent play daily and 40 per cent weekly, while among millennials, the levels are 24 per cent and 38 per cent respectively. Among Gen X gamers, 17 per cent play daily and 35 per cent weekly. This implies, the gamer audience is spread across generations which predominantly plays once a week.
Gamers are not media isolated. They watch and follow a lot of content on TV as well as online TV. They spend around 28 hours a week on the medium.
Casual gamers make up the largest cohort in the gaming audience pool. They mostly prefer smartphones as their gaming device. They choose to play puzzles, trivia, 3match, and especially board games like ludo, scrabble, UNO, etc. They are not into spending a lot of money on gaming but are prone to In-App micro transactions to progress their game.
E-sports in India has evolved as a new form of entertainment. The scope for brands to associate with e-sports is massive and the receptivity from the gaming community is also high. Gamers understand that brands & sponsors are vital for the e-sports industry to go big. The fan following of e-sports is on the rise as the tournaments are only becoming bigger and more intense. The demand for updates and content has exploded in recent times and social media has been one of the key factors for driving that in the country. Fans love to follow their favorite players (47 per cent) and teams (41 per cent) for a particular game and genre they are interested in or play themselves.
AR/VR (Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality) in India is still at a nascent stage. The challenge in the market is due to high cost and lack of exposure and experience. Contrary to smartphone apps made in India, the apps and technology that employ AR and VR are also underdeveloped.
The rapid rise of gaming in India has also affected the education and learning industry. A lot of education and coaching centers have now incorporated animation, game development, coding, etc. in their curriculum and offerings. Even the apps and education formats are gamified to engage the students and assist them in learning.
Gamers are passionate about gaming-related stuff but are also quite interested in fashion, fitness, and food.
Gaming as a habit is an expensive hobby. On average, a hardcore gamer spends Rs 6500 (approx) on accessories and peripherals to enhance the gaming experience.
Please click here for the entire report.
Gaming
IICT signs three MoUs to boost AVGC-XR and esports
Partnerships with Zenfluencers, Yologram and Eruditio at Chennai Gaming Show 2026 strengthen education, XR innovation and nationwide talent outreach.
MUMBAI: IICT has just levelled up the game in a big way. The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies signed three strategic Memorandums of Understanding on 17 April 2026 at the CII Summit FX – India Gaming Show in Chennai, forging alliances with The Zenfluencers, Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. and Eruditio Consultants to accelerate India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem.
The tie-ups combine IICT’s strengths in education, skilling and research with specialist expertise across esports, immersive technologies and large-scale outreach.
- With The Zenfluencers, IICT will roll out globally benchmarked esports programmes, including joint certification courses, industry workshops, tournaments and masterclasses, creating clear career pathways across the full esports value chain.
- The partnership with Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. focuses on gaming, immersive storytelling and extended reality (XR), delivering industry-aligned curriculum, faculty mentorship, student showcases and collaborative research in immersive AI and virtual production.
- Collaboration with Eruditio Consultants targets awareness, accessibility and career alignment, with nationwide counsellor training, institutional engagement and structured guidance frameworks to reach students beyond Tier-1 cities.
IICT CEO Vishwas Deoskar said, “As the AVGC-XR sector evolves at a rapid pace, strong collaborations between industry and academia are essential. These partnerships will create meaningful impact across education, innovation and outreach.”
Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. founder Aditya Mani added, “AI-driven creator worlds are transforming games into engines of culture, commerce and careers. Together we aim to empower a generation to build immersive futures.”
Eruditio Consultants founder Indrajit Ghosh noted, “This is not just about awareness, it is about building a structured ecosystem that connects aspiration with opportunity.”
The Zenfluencers CEO Atharva Gupta said, “This MoU is a big unlock moment for the esports ecosystem in India. We’re building a structured pipeline for talent across the full stack.”
By bringing together academia, industry leaders and ecosystem players, IICT is creating scalable models that blend cutting-edge skills with real-world relevance. In a sector racing toward the future, these three partnerships ensure India’s next generation of creative technologists won’t just keep up, they’ll set the pace.
