The esports ecosystem is growing not only among gamers but also among developers. With esports being included in the Olympic pre-game series, followed by the Indian Olympic Association bringing esports companies and platforms on board as a sponsor, the esports industry is now gaining the same respect as any other sport! India is not only becoming a well-known gamer and game developer capable of developing sports but it is also known to be a global esports industry.

During the 18th Asian Games, held in 2018, Tirth Mehta, a well-known esports player from India, brought home a bronze medal. But sadly, the medal was not counted or recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs or the Sports or the Indian Olympic Association. However, this is going to change! As Narinder Batra, president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and member of the Olympic Channel Commission states, “By 2022, we’ll be able to count and recognize the medals won at the international level by esports players”.

According to the esports report released by FICCI-EY India during the virtual conference, Indian game developers transition from developing social games to multiplayer games and create games that are better suited for esports tournaments.

As Esports players gain international recognition and the esports industry becomes mainstream, industry experts believe it is time to establish a dedicated central agency. As a sport, esports requires a lot of leadership and moderation, and India needs a central agency to lead the industry into the future and help it reach its potential.

The Ministry of Sports should formulate a basic policy to define the esports industry with specific guidelines. Certain guidelines are becoming more and more important because they help to build a solid infrastructure that allows players to surpass the game and win medals in global competitions.

Credits: Financial Express