How big is online gaming in India and which states top the charts? (2024)

Sarvesh MonJanuary 16, 2023Leave a Comment on How big is online gaming in India and which states and cities top the charts? 3 minute read

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“India’s gaming market was worth $2.6 billion in FY 2022 and it will reach $8.6 billion by 2027 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27 per cent. The central government recently also proposed draft rules that will help provide further impetus to India’s gaming industry,” a press release by online gaming platform Mobile Premier League (MPL) stated based ontheIndia Mobile Gaming Report (IMGR) 2022 published by the platform.“Last year, India became the largest consumer of mobile games in the world, recording over 15 billion downloads, as per a report by Lumikai, a gaming-focused venture capital fund,” the release added.

Why does this matter:India’s IT Ministry came out with proposed rules for online gaming companies earlier this month, which many of the top companies and industry bodies have welcomed. However, the rules have many issues, which we have explored here and here. The statistics in the MPL report shed light on how big and fast-growing this industry is, making it all the more necessary that the proposed rules ensure that gaming companies are not unnecessarily burdened and, more importantly, there are sufficient safeguards to protect users from harm.

Which states have the highest number of mobile gamers?

Uttar Pradesh: “In Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Ghaziabad and Allahabad have the highest share of gamers. 36% of the total gamers in UP hail from these cities. This is the second year in a row that Lucknow has earned recognition for its gaming prowess—last year’s IMGR revealed that growth in Lucknow outpaced all metros,” MPL stated. However, the press release does not reveal the number of players.
Maharashtra:Maharashtra comes in second on the list with Pune contributing the highest share, 20 percent more than Mumbai. Thane, Nagpur and Nashik are the other cities in the top five.
Rajasthan:Jaipur is the top city in Rajasthan with over 200% more gamers than Jodhpur. Udaipur, Alwar and Kota occupy the next three spots.
Bihar:The state’s capital Patna has the highest number of gamers in the state, double the number of gamers in the rest of the top four: Muzaffarpur, Gaya, Darbhanga and Bhagalpur.
West Bengal:Kolkata, Midnapore, Murshidabad, Howrah and Darjeelingcontribute to over 30% of the state’s total mobile gaming population.

What states are the fastest growing?

The following states saw the highest increase in mobile gamers in 2022 compared to 2021:

Odisha (55%)
Punjab (53%)
Tamil Nadu (42%)
Puduch*erry (38%)
Himachal Pradesh (23%)

Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities takes over big cities in the top 10 list:“According to the report, tier 2 and 3 cities, which witnessed explosive growth in mobile gaming, among other internet leisure activities, have rapidly ascended to the top, unseating gaming hubs such as the metros cities like Mumbai and Bangalore. Unlike last year, which saw Delhi take the pole position in terms of user growth, metros don’t occupy any spot in the top 10 gaming cities on the list. This growth is testament to the extensive popularity of mobile gaming beyond the big cities,” MPL claimed. Mohali, for example, registered “a whopping growth of 7130% in 2022 vs 2021 in mobile gamers” MPL added.

What are the most popular games in India?

“Carrom, Fruit Dart, Ludo Dice, Snakes & Ladders, Block Puzzle and Poker were some of the top games enjoyed by gamers across different Indian cities as per IMGR 2022,” the press release stated.MPL also shared the following map to that shows the top games in each state:

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