Gaming and interactive media are the growth drivers of the Indian digital media and entertainment market. This is the conclusion of a study by Bitkraft Ventures and Redseer Strategy. However, the market also has many special aspects.
Gaming and interactive media are the growth drivers of the Indian digital media and entertainment market. This is the conclusion of a study by Bitkraft Ventures and Redseer Strategy. However, the market also has many special aspects.
The report “The Gaming and Interactive Media Opportunity in India” is a joint effort by Bitkraft Ventures and Redseer Strategy Consultants and, according to the authors, combines the industry expertise of the VC investor Bitkraft, founded by Jens Hilgers, with data and analyses from Redseer on the Indian digital economy.
The report highlights three key points. First, gaming and interactive media are the fastest-growing segments of the Indian digital media and entertainment market. The report estimates the volume of this market at $9.3 billion, with gaming and interactive media contributing $2.4 billion. This volume is expected to rise to $7.8 billion by 2023. This means that the segment would grow 1.5 times faster than the market.
Within the gaming segment, the digital gaming sector will grow by an average of 18% per year during this period, reaching a volume of $4.3 billion in 2030. Growth in esports will be even higher in percentage terms, averaging 26% per year. Revenue will triple to $132 million. Esports thus remains significantly smaller than digital gaming in terms of size.
The third trend is interactive media, which includes audio streaming as well as micro dramas, a format that is in high demand in Asia. This sector will also grow significantly, from a market volume of around $440 million in 2025 to $3.2 billion in 2030.
The report provides interesting insights, especially when looking at the details. For example, the report shows that five of the ten most successful games in India were also developed in India. Over 500 gaming companies have been established in the past five years alone.
The report also confirms demographic characteristics of the Indian gaming market that have been documented in other studies. For example, women make up a meager 26 percent of gamers. And more than half of all gamers are under 30 years old. In terms of platforms, mobile dominates with a 78 percent market share. PCs account for 15 percent and consoles for 7 percent.
According to the report, advertising will replace in-app purchases as the leading source of revenue, although advertising will still account for a third of all revenue in 2030. It is also interesting to note that battle royale is the leading genre in terms of monetization.
This is particularly noteworthy in light of regulatory developments. Just over five years ago, PUBG was banned in India due to data protection and privacy concerns. Although the situation has eased with the passage of the Gaming Act in 2025, India remains a market with its own rules. Online money games have been banned and skill-based games such as PUBG have been allowed, but strict youth protection regulations continue to apply to gaming.
The complete 52-page study with figures and data on the Indian games and esports market can be downloaded free of charge from the Insights section of Bitkraft Ventures.
