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India’s Bengaluru unveils Esports and Gaming Summit
The online gaming and esports industry in India has been on a growing trajectory for the last couple of years, and the market is expected to reach a $9.2 billion by FY 2029 at a CAGR of 20 percent. Bengaluru, the capital city of the southern Indian state of Karnataka, is all set to host two major initiatives to bolster the country’s online gaming market. The recently concluded GAFX 2025 has announced the launch of Esports & Gaming Summit and the Game Developers Conference organised by the Department of Electronics, Information Technology & Biotechnology, Government of Karnataka, in collaboration with ABAI.
The state’s IT Minister Priyank Kharge shared the news on X, highlighting the state’s commitment to making gaming a key part of the digital economy.
“The gaming industry in India is no longer on the sidelines—it’s taking center stage. With our sector growing at 23 per cent annually and 590 million gamers nationwide, we are the world’s largest gaming market. At the heart of this momentum is Bengaluru, home to the highest number of gaming start-ups in the country,” Kharge posted.
Esports & Gaming Summit
The Esports & Gaming Summit will provide a platform for Indian gamers to sharpen their skills, nurture talent, and advance their careers in competitive gaming. With esports gaining mainstream recognition, the summit will focus on developing professional players, organising high-level competitions, and creating opportunities for Indian gamers on the global stage.
The initiative aligns with the Karnataka government’s vision to establish India as a major esports hub. Kharge had earlier expressed his intention to host India’s first government-sponsored Esports Olympics, ensuring Karnataka remains at the forefront of innovation in the gaming sector.
Game developers conference
The Game Developers Conference will bring together national and international creators, industry experts, and technology leaders to push creative boundaries and develop new intellectual properties (IPs). With Bengaluru already home to several top gaming studios and tech start-ups, the conference aims to further strengthen India’s game development ecosystem.
Karnataka’s growing gaming economy
Few months ago, during a special address at the second edition of the Indian Gaming Convention (IGC), Kharge highlighted Karnataka’s contribution to the global animation, visual effects, gaming & comics (AVGC) market, which is valued at $366 billion. The gaming sector makes up 54 percent of this market, with animation and visual effects accounting for the rest.
“The country boasts as the world’s second-largest gaming community, comprising 42.5 crore gamers, and from 2020 to 2023, the online gaming segment in India experienced a rise of 28 percent which was a market size of ₹16,428 crore in 2023 and in the next four years, it should double,” Kharge said.
Kharge shared that in 2023 alone, India recorded 1,400 online gaming start-ups and 430 crore gaming app downloads. The in-game purchase and deposit segment contributed ₹8,370 crore through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions. Karnataka’s proactive policies, including the establishment of a gaming accelerator and a dedicated centre of excellence for gaming, further reinforce the state’s leadership in this industry.
Future plan
Bengaluru, already recognised as one of the world’s top four technology clusters, is now strengthening its role in gaming and esports. With over 27 centres of excellence and a strong start-up ecosystem, the city is well-positioned to drive India’s gaming revolution, Kharge explained.
“We are setting up a centre of excellence specifically for gaming and I also am extremely keen to host India’s first government-sponsored eSports Olympics to ensure that we remain the leaders in this sector and be the most disruptive innovation capital in the world. We will also have a gaming accelerator by the end of this financial year,” Kharge said.
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