In a big move, the Government of India has officially recognised 'E-Sports' (Electronic Sports) as a part of Multi-sports events.
Esports will be taken care of by the Department of Sports under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The Indian Esports Industry has been fighting for Esports not to be clubbed under the umbrella term "Gaming".
The Industry has maintained that Esports (Electronic sports) is a competitive sport where esports athletes use their physical and mental abilities to compete in certain genres of video games in a virtual, electronic environment.
Talking about how monumental this decision is for the country's Esports community, Lokesh Suji, Director, Esports Federation of India & Vice President of the Asian Esports Federation (AESF) said, "Great news for us to begin the New Year. We have been constantly working on establishing the difference between esports and iGaming, and finally, our efforts have been fulfilled. We welcome this announcement by our government under the leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, which will open new avenues to pour in more investment opportunities in this booming industry. From now onwards, we will have to build the proper infrastructure, training facilities and coaching for our young esports athletes. Only a short time until we see Esports being placed in the same league as cricket, football, basketball, and having similar fan power, scale and craze."
"With the latest announcement and India recently competing for medals at the inaugural Esports Asian Games, people are shaking off the misconceptions linked with esports as a passion or career option. The year 2023 beholds greater opportunities for esports and we are anticipating more favourable developments, only making it bigger. It surely has been a great year for Indian esports." Suji added.
Rohit Jagasia, CEO and Founder of Revenant Esports said, "Today can be said to be the greatest day in Indian Esports history. The collective efforts of the entire gaming fraternity along with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and sports have finally reaped its rewards and we can now proudly consider Esports as a legitimate sport in India. This revolutionary decision will not only transform the country's gaming landscape in terms of improved infrastructure, funding, exposure and providing education about the sector but will also put India on the global Esports map as a force to be reckoned with. The year 2023 is undoubtedly going to be the start of the country's golden era in Esports and with the Asian Games as well as the Olympic Esports Week also set to take place soon, there is a lot of success expected to be in store for the entire community."
The decision is going to have far reaching effects on India's Esports sector and boost the growth of the country's Esports industry which is currently home to over 430 million mobile gamers and the number is estimated to grow to 650 million by 2025, according to the latest data provided by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
"This is fantastic news because it would give the Indian e-sports industry a huge boost. The e-sports fan will be inspired by this to pursue the game professionally. Players will be able to seek out tutoring and instruction to advance their game thanks to the official recognition. Congratulations to the Indian government for recognizing the enormous potential of e-sports. It's time for India to excel in the world of e-sports with our amazing players," Sooraj Balakrishnan, Head of Marketing, Acer, said in a statement.
(With agency inputs)
