Gaming
ESFI: 28 cent GST excludes Indian Esports targets iGaming
Mumbai: In the recently conducted 50 meet of the Goods and Service Tax (GST) Council in New Delhi, it was announced that 28 per cent GST will be levied on the full value of online gaming, horse racing, and casinos. Further, the GST Council further agreed that there should be no distinction between a ‘game of skill and a game of chance.’
Clearing the confusion regarding whether the GST will have any sort of impact on the Esports or video gaming industry of the country, Esports Federation of India (ESFI) president & acting director general of Olympic Council of Asia Vinod Tiwari stated, “It is imperative first to understand that the 28 per cent GST is going to be applicable to the iGaming sector, including Real Money Gaming (RMG), fantasy sports, teen patti, rummy, and poker which are categorised under gambling or betting in the rest of the world. Contrary to some media reports, this GST is neither applicable nor will it have any impact on the ‘Video Games’ or the Esports industry.”
“Esports has been officially recognised as a sport by the government which finally and thankfully distinguishes it from any and all activities like iGaming such as fantasy, teen patti, rummy, poker, betting, and gambling, among others. It will carry on to be taxed the way it always has been. Theories of ‘game of skill’ and ‘game of chance’ which only exist in our country neither apply nor are relevant in the Esports ecosystem,” said Tiwari.
In April of this year, the government made amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 to lay out a comprehensive framework for the online gaming ecosystem. According to Tiwari instead of using the umbrella term of “online gaming”, the GST council should have ideally used the more specific term “iGaming’ which is known worldwide, or even “online real money game” which is defined in “The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules to avoid the confusion.
“We must acknowledge the TRUTH that the primary objective of the 400 million Indian video gamers (and approximately three billion gamers worldwide) is ‘purely entertainment’, and not financial gains or making money. It is regrettable that in India, our video games or Esports Industry is often unjustifiably associated with ‘iGaming, betting, RMG, gambling, and many more, which creates unnecessary confusion and misperceptions,” he added.
Additionally, it is crucial to highlight that video game publishers have strict policies against implementing entry fees for any Esports events organised using their video games, further separating it from iGaming.
Having been included as a demonstration title in 2018, Esports is also going to make its full-fledged debut as an official medal sport at the 19th Asian Games where India will be participating in four titles – League of Legends, FIFA Online 4, Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, and DOTA 2. Moreover, Esports has recently been officially designated as one of the medal sports in the 20 Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026.
The inclusion of Esports in major international multi-sport tournaments is a testament to the giant strides it has been making to cement its position as a mainstream sport within the country.
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.
