In conversation with Anish Kapoor, CEO, Infinix Mobile

In the last few years, the Indian Gaming segment has witnessed a massive spike in the number of gamers owing to the immersive gaming experience and the opportunities the industry has presented to players. To further boost the participation from the Indian gaming community, smartphone brands are continuously devising new gaming technologies and sponsoring esports tournaments. One such brand is Infinix Mobile. The gaming smartphone brand recently launched its Dar-Link game boost technology.

The brand also sponsored the Esports Premier League 2021 organized by India Today Gaming and is the title sponsor of the World Esports Championship 2021, registrations of which began 23rd October 2021.

The Gaming Reporter reached out to Anish Kapoor, CEO, Infinix India to gain some valuable insights on what can the gamers expect with the upcoming updates in the Infinix smartphone, how the Dar-Link game boost technology is going to be a game-changer in the Indian gaming industry and what are his expectations from the World Esports Championship 2021. 

The Gaming Reporter – After cameras, providing an immersive gaming experience is the next goal for smartphones. How does Infinix India look at this trend?

Anish Kapoor – Gaming is indeed one of the biggest trends in the smartphone industry in 2021. The exponential growth in the gaming population backed by the rise in smartphone consumption in India has led us to become the 5th largest mobile gaming market across the world (Inmobi mobile gaming report 2021). 

As per the recent report by CLSA, the mobile gaming market will touch $3 Billion in India by 2023 from the current $1.3 Billion. As the consumer base continues to increase amidst the pandemic, the industry will see further growth in this consumer segment, raising the demand for high-end features in smartphones for a better gaming experience. All these numbers and predictions clearly show that mobile gaming is truly here to stay and new-age smartphone companies like ours, need to focus our offerings as per this consumer pool. 

The Gaming Reporter – Other brands are also paying a lot more attention to enhancing the gaming experience of users. What can gamers expect with the upcoming updates in Infinix smartphones?

Anish Kapoor – There are more than 80% of committed gamers in India who are spending considerable hours playing games. The internet penetration in rural India has played a big role here. Women are also increasingly coming into the gaming fold. In fact, as per Inmobi mobile gaming report 2021, 43% of the gamers in India are females. Through our budget smartphones which are equipped with gaming ready specs we encourage these budding talents and first-time gamers to pursue their passion for mobile gaming.

Since 85% (as per Deloitte technology, media, and telecommunications predictions 2021) of the online gaming in India is smartphone intensive, our R&D teams work on newer and patented technology to offer the best-in-segment smartphones which can help Indian gamers to not only have a good user experience but also earn through participating in Esports national tournaments like Esports Premier League (ESPL) & WEC as well as tap the potential to represent India on global platforms in the coming time. Our motive is to empower the users with value for money devices that can seamlessly take their game to the next level as well as equip them to compete in top-notch international tournaments too at the opportune time. 

The Gaming Reporter – The Dar-Link game boost technology has started gaining more traction today. How is the technology going to be a game-changer for Infinix?

Anish Kapoor – Yes, we have received an overwhelming response from our consumers and experts around Dar-link game boost technology. This ultimate technology innovation enhances the system by improving the graphics display and touchscreen sensitivity. It enables our consumers to enjoy a gaming experience with eliminated screen tearing/stuttering, a responsive touch panel, actual colour reproduction, and no heating even after extended hours of play. The fact that it is available in our budget smartphone range, gives us an upper edge over other smartphone brands in the same price segment.

The Gaming Reporter – Infinix India is the title sponsor for World Esports Cup 2021. What are your expectations with the championship?

Anish Kapoor – India is one of the biggest and fastest-growing smartphone markets globally. We are also the 5th largest mobile gaming market across the world, and it is estimated that 44% of India’s smartphone population will be playing games on their devices by 2022. These numbers clearly show that mobile gaming is truly here to stay and new-age smartphone companies like ours, need to focus our offerings as per this consumer pool. 

Our partnership with World Esports Cup 2021 gives us a huge opportunity to engage with the millennial population of mobile gamers in the country and introduce them to our products which come packed with superior gaming technologies for a rich gaming experience. For instance, our recently launched products like the HOT series and now NOTE series, not only come with first-in-the-segment features but also have been upgraded as per the needs and struggles that the gamers face while playing games on their smartphones. In the coming time, we would like to be known as the brand which delivers affordable smartphones that offer cutting-edge features.

The Gaming Reporter – In the current scenario, what are the key focus areas for Infinix India in the gaming space?

Anish Kapoor – As mentioned earlier, gaming is one of the primary focus areas for us now. We wish to establish Infinix as the best gaming smartphone brand in the world. In order to achieve this goal, we have introduced gaming-specific technologies like Dar-link along with gaming-specific smartphone range like Hot series and recently launched NOTE 10 and NOTE 10 Pro. Our new products will certainly have upgrades specifically catering to this consumer base who always expect better and additional features from their smartphones. 

The Gaming Reporter – Smartphone brands are making strong efforts to be at the centre stage in the gaming segment. What trends can we expect by the end of the year 2022 in the smartphone gaming ecosystem?

Anish Kapoor – India’s gaming community is evolving and the country is expected to add 40 million online gamers to emerge as a $2.8-billion-dollar online gaming industry. This will present tremendous opportunities for smartphone marketers to tap the sector as people are no longer relying on consoles or PCs or waiting for the weekend to play a game. With smartphones becoming accessible to the masses, gaming will continue to penetrate all age groups, whether it is the millennials or adult veterans, all be impacted by this growing trend.

In India, while in-game ads are not popular, game streaming platforms are dominating the industry to drive more audience through the smartphone industry. Smartphone marketers can team up with eSports and game streaming leagues to reach out to the vast community of gaming enthusiasts and even pro-level gamers to scale their businesses. Rapid evolution of gaming platforms and also dedicated gaming communities both micro and macro is something marketers need to look out for.

The Gaming Reporter – What are Infinix India’s growth plans in the gaming segment by the end of 2022? 

Anish Kapoor – This genre is progressive in nature and is already trending at a rate of almost 27% per annum we are pretty sure that it has the propensity of becoming a secondary source of entertainment for Young India which not only is limited to playing but also on viewership.  Also, we feel it is the right space in order to communicate our offering to this community as we already have been manufacturing game-ready devices for the mid-range segment that are feature-rich and enhance the users’ gaming experience. 

We are keeping a watchful eye on the evolution of this genre in India and will keep on exploring innovative ways to promote and leverage the mobile-centric esports and competitive gaming ecosystem in our country.

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