The gaming industry is growing at an incredible speed. Read this article to know about the best gaming startups in India.
Gaming startups in India have seen an unprecedented influx of investment. The industry has significantly grown over the past few years, and undoubtedly, it will continue to grow.
Is the Gaming Industry Growing?
With the increasing number of smartphone users and affordable internet being accessible across smaller cities and towns, the gaming market in India is exploding. According to Deloitte, by 2022, the gaming industry will have a net worth of 2.8 billion USD.
Investors have never been keener to fund gaming startups. Big names such as Sequoia, Kalaari, Steadview, Chrys Capital, Matrix, Accel, Lumikai, TPG and Blume have been investing in gaming startups over the past few years. According to a study, 440 million USD was invested in gaming startups in 2020.
Gaming as a Career
If you have any doubt about pursuing your career in gaming, you should know that the industry is set to account for almost 4% of all the entertainment avenues in India. This means there will be a host of jobs that you can get in the industry. Gaming startups in India are looking for:
- Content creators
- Developers and programmers
- Designers
- Audio engineers
- Translators
- Animators
- Artists
- Testers
- Professional gamers
This is a non-exhaustive list. By the end of this year, there will be 300 million active gamers in India. Startups will require employees to maintain their finances and provide customer service. The job market in the gaming industry is an enthralling proposition for aspiring professionals.
How Many Gaming Startups are There in India?
According to Tracxn, there are more than 620 gaming startups in India. The amount invested in this industry in the past six months is more than the amount invested in the past five years. This will encourage entrepreneurs and will give rise to more startups. Lumikai, a company that funds gaming and interactive media startups, is planning to invest in 20 promising startups.
Gaming Startups in India to Keep an Eye on
Here are a few gaming startups in India that you should keep an eye on:
Nazara Technologies
Nazara Technologies Limited was founded in 1999. Nazara has acquired several gaming companies, such as Nodwin, Sportskeeda and Halaplay.
It is the first gaming and sports media platform in the country. They have a powerful presence in India and emerging and developed global markets, such as Africa and North America.
The company was founded by Nitish Mittersain. It has grown in leaps and bounds since then. Nazara managed to get investments from a host of renowned investors, such as Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, Hornbill Capital Advisors, ESL gaming, and Sequoia Capital.
The key to Nazara’s success lies in the fact that they are quite diversified.
Octro Inc.
In 2006, Saurabh Aggarwal founded Octro. His focus was on instant messaging. However, he shifted his attention to games in 2012. He was able to secure an investment from Sequoia Capital a couple of years later.
Octro’s runaway success came with Teen Patti. This game became a huge hit. The live card game has a 4-star rating in the app store. The game has a huge fan base. People can play it with their friends. It also gives them the opportunity to interact with their acquaintances.
Although their major focus has been on card games, they also offer games like “Soccer Battles”, “Donkey Quiz”, and “Ludo Live”.
Dream 11
Dream 11’s vision has been to “Make sports better” by giving avid fans new ways to engage in their favourite sports. They also offer different content for sports fans.
Dream 11 was founded by Harsha Jain and Bhavit Sheith. Both of them are engineers. The company has a philanthropic wing, Dream Sports Foundation, which supports budding athletes.
Under the Dream 11 umbrella, Fancode, DreamX and DreamSetGo, provide users with different ways to absorb content. They also offer different travel packages.
With investors like Kalaari Capital, Think Investments, Tiger Global and even Tencent on board, this Indian gaming startup is aiming to reach great heights. In 2019 the company was ranked tenth in the list of India’s best midsize workplaces.
Mech Mocha
Based in Bangalore, this company has done phenomenally well. Mech Mocha was founded by Arpita Kapoor and Mohit Rangaraju in 2014. The company launched a game called Hello Play. It is a gaming platform that supports various regional languages.
The company has gathered a number of renowned investors. Mech Mocha is also funded by renowned Venture Capital firms such as Accel, Blume and Tuck. Many investors have praised the officials of this company for their dedication to work.
Rolocule
After an internship with EA Sports in the States, Rohit Gupta invested 1 lakh rupees in his gaming startup. Since its inception in 2010, it has grown fiercely, churning out award-winning games like Flick Tennis, Dead Among Us and motion Tennis. These games have gained a global following.
Specialising in realistic triple-A and mid-core games, Rolocule has raised almost $600,000 from Artha Ventures and Mumbai Angels.
The Indian startup is said to be driven by the pursuit of perfection with a mission to entertain universally. They seem to be well on their way.
Zapak
Initially founded by Nikhil Soman and now backed by Anil Dhirubai Ambani’s Reliance Big Entertainment, Zapak has been a gaming staple since 2006. With their statistics showing that an average user spends about 21 minutes gaming on Zapak.com, they do have loyal customers.
The Indian company has been strategic in its associations with Hollywood studios. With connections to DreamWorks, Sony, Paramount, Columbia and Warner Bros. They have also worked closely with Cartoon launching games like Ben 10 Alien Run.
The casual gaming company offers over 500 games across various platforms, available on Android, Blackberry and Nokia markets and stores. With investments from Lead Eastern group of $15 million, the company is fast expanding.
How do Gaming Startups Make Money?
Most Indian consumers tend to be careful about their spending. But, they have always been open to the idea of spending on entertainment. More and more consumers are spending money by purchasing online gaming components. They are also spending a significant amount by making in-game purchases.
Subscription fees are charged when businesses need high maintenance costs to be able to provide their services. If you play online games, you may come across many advertisements. Companies run these advertisements to collect the funds that they need to carry out their operations.
There are many games that you can download only after paying a certain amount of money. Whereas, you can play some games without paying any money. There are many games that you can download for free, but you may need to spend some money to unlock certain features. These games are called freemium games.
Many gaming businesses use a combination of these models to generate revenue.
Conclusion
The gaming industry is rapidly growing, and it has attracted a lot of investors. The lockdown played a crucial role in popularizing this industry. Currently, there are a lot of influencers who became famous for their gaming skills. Children and adults can take inspiration from them and consider gaming as a career. Currently, the gaming industry is growing. As a result, many startups are looking for qualified candidates. Spottabl is a platform that connects aspiring professionals with startups. You can visit our official site for more information. We can help you get your dream job
