Can Indian Gaming start-ups capitalise on the Chinese app ban?

The recent ban on 49 Chinese app by Indian government which includes two popular gaming app as well viz. “Clash of Kings” & “Mobile Legends” along with a few others has created a void in Indian gaming  industry. As per the data , the widely famous gaming app “Mobile Legends” had an installation record of up to 100Mn and “ Clash of Kings” had an installation record of around 50 million in India. This space can surely be filled up by the gaming startups in India using latest technology and innovation. In fact Indian startups have an extra edge over its competitors in this race as they are more aware of the habits, needs and emotions of Indian customers than the ones from outside India who are constantly putting efforts on developing some relatable themes based on Indian culture to acquire more customers.

Today gaming in India has shifted from being merely an activity to a channel to connect with friends, family and colleagues. At present Indian gaming industry is valued at around 87 Billion Rs. growing at a CAGR of 22% and is expected to grow at 47% with a revenue of 250 billion Rs. by the year 2024. Today gaming has shifted from being merely an activity to a channel to connect with friends. Gaming platforms are further getting higher engagements through some of the popular Indian gamers like Raunak Sen, Sagar Vyas, Simar Sethi, Ankit Panth etc. who are continuously inspiring the community for a positive mentality and acceptance for gaming. The current global pandemic and subsequent lockdown is giving boost to this growth of the industry. Various gaming platforms have seen an increment in their user base as well as in user engagement period more than ever during this pandemic. In addition to that the banning of various Chinese gaming apps has cleared the way for many Indian gaming startups to grab the market and take full advantage of it.

Chinese vs Indian Gaming apps

If we compare the Chinese gaming app with the gaming apps developed in India we can clearly say that Indian gaming developers either existing or startups are mainly generating revenue through fantasy sports or  board gaming (like Ludo King). Fantasy sport platforms like Dream 11, HalaPlay or multiplayer gaming platform like MPL are however not listed in the Google Play Store,  rather they organize some live tournaments or video streaming where participants can register and even win cash awards. But when it comes to Chinese gaming apps, their main revenue comes from action and strategy based casual games. Although RMG platforms are leading the Indian gaming market with the highest revenue, there are many players who love to play such action and strategy based games. Hence to fill the void that banning on Chinese apps have created in the Indian market , game developers can focus on creating some action and strategy based gaming. Another way is entering into casual or hyper casual sector via real money gaming platforms as RMG has already evolved from its initial stage to fantasy sports till now. It can also enter into strategy and action based gaming in order to widen the target segment. However such initiatives require higher investments from investment firms along with encouragement and support from government’s end as the industry is at present in a nascent stage. Such government push and investment plans will definitely help the industry to grow fully and reach to the next level.

The views expressed here are solely of the author and may not represent organisations’s view point in any form.