For the first time in history, the number of Internet users in rural India has exceeded that in metropolitan areas. In November 2019, the Internet and Mobile Equipment Association of India (IAMAI) reported that rural India has 227 million active Internet users, which is 10% higher than the number of active Internet users in Indian cities, which is about 205 million.

Statistics have increased with the advent of the cheapest Internet connection in the world. In addition, approximately 71 million children between the ages of 5 and 11 use their relatives’ devices to access the Internet. India has reached another milestone: more than 504 million active Internet users aged 5 and over, an increase of 53 million from March 2019. Internet users considered to be active are those who visit the Internet at least once a month.

In the gaming business, India rose to the top of the global mobile game downloads in the first nine months of 2020, with 7.3 billion installs, accounting for a 17% market share of installs. According to this research, the potential for adding new customers indoors is still ‘huge’ in the next few years. As of November 2019, the Internet penetration rate in the top eight metropolitan areas was 65%, higher than the 63% in March 2019.

In March, the time Indians spend on mobile phones increased by 24% to 4.3 hours a day, mainly due to blockades. This compares to an average of 3.5 hours per day in 2019. Consumers have spent a growing quantity of time in the course of the lockdown on cellular video games which include PUBG, different multiplayer video games, and social media structures like TikTok and Facebook, further to the usage of video-chatting programs which include Zoom for interacting with buddies and family, for workplace paintings and online assessments.

Currently, the city population has got admission to the quicker net and greater facilities than the rural population. However, whilst people living in rural areas get admission to the quicker net, those numbers will jump up in no time. It is viable that after new centers are brought in rural regions, gamers will develop and can in the end surpass city gamers.

The rise in the Indian gaming world
Rural mobile users increased year over year, followed by PC and tablet users. Mobile gaming dominates the gaming enterprise in India, where access to affordable smartphones has grown at a rate of 15% over the last five years, high-speed 4G internet adoption is widespread and data rates are the lowest in the world.

Initiatives such as ‘Digital Village’ have enhanced internet access by bringing high-speed, low-price net to rural game enthusiasts. Both cellular and PC game enthusiasts are rising compared to the preceding yr and are developing daily. These characteristics, in conjunction with the boom of cellular games, make contributions to India’s rural younger gamers.

Since popularity struck, PUBG Mobile was played by an estimated 34 million Indians daily. The battle royale genre game was downloaded 175 million times in India. The growth of the gaming business will soon encourage more players from rural areas to pursue careers in gaming as well.

Additionally, the rural mobile gaming sector is growing rapidly and may eventually even surpass urban areas. With the availability of high-speed internet infrastructure, players will concentrate exclusively on the gaming industry.

Impact of Covid-19 on the gaming industry
The Covid-19 pandemic altered media and entertainment intake patterns, with KPMG predicting that conventional sectors which include cinema, television, and print might decline by 20% in 2020. Conversely, they assume a vast boom in gaming and virtual media intake, with international sales anticipated to boom through as much as 33% to $25.4 billion in 2021.

The increase in gaming is fuelled by means of a growing want for digital leisure with friends, family, peer organizations, and influencers pushing Indians to play extra video games. Moreover, as virtual intake has grown to be extra prevalent, the preference for more variety has increased.

Mobile games act as digital social spaces, assembling customers’ preferences for connection throughout tough times. Moreover, gaming transcends geographical boundaries, permeating each Tier 1 and Tier 2 towns in addition to city and rural regions.

Measures to support the gaming industry
With the increase in gaming, the Indian authorities are expected to get more and more worried about allowing and regulating the quarter. The Indian authorities are making sizable strides in this area, organizing programs to reinforce virtual literacy in rural India.

For example, the Indian authorities released the ‘Digital India’ mission to boost the performance of the general public quarter to transition India right into a globally connected society and knowledge-primarily based totally economy.

The cause of this program is to make sure that everyone resident of India has got right of entry to high-pace internet, price structures are online or cashless, residents are digitally literate, virtual assets are to be had in Indian languages, and that the general public area or authorities our bodies are digitally lively for residents to post authorities documents.

Credits: ThePrint