Mobile Gaming Report v17

MOBILE GAMING
IN INDIA
Market Opportunity Report
2020
Powered By
Table Of
Contents
Scope Of The Report
03 39 Industry Analysis Of Mobile Gaming Market
04 Executive Summary Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
Growth Drivers
05 Introduction Issues & Challenges
07 India’s Mobile Gaming Landscape 45 Policy And Regulatory Framework

Evolution Of Mobile Gaming In India 47 Fantasy Sports Market In India
India Vs The World
Value Chain Analysis 56 Emerging Trends In Customer Experience

Mobile Gaming Ecosystem [Powered By Zendesk]
Market Size
Mobile Games Classification By Genres 64 Future Outlook And Trends

Total Addressable Audience
Understanding Indian Gamer’s Profile 67 Analyst Recommendation

Revenue Models
Trends And Key Developments 70 Methodology And Glossary

Funding & M&A Landscape
Financial Performance Of Top Players 72 Bibliography

© Inc42 Media | not for distribution 2
Scope Of The Report
India is among the top five markets for mobile gaming in terms of user base, driven by smartphones and the availability of cheap data. There
has been a significant impetus in the mobile gaming industry in recent times, primarily due to the multitudes of workforce forced to stay
indoors due to the coronavirus pandemic.
With three out of four Indian players enjoying mobile games a minimum of twice a day, the industry is poised to grow at a substantial rate
over the next five years.
Currently pegged at $1.2 Bn (end-2020), India's mobile gaming market is expected to reach the $1.6 Bn milestone in 2025. With a
Covid-19-triggered boost in demand, and the ban on Chinese mobile apps, Indian startups are eyeing a huge market opportunity to build
and scale up.
This report presents an overview of the Indian mobile gaming industry, and the opportunities it possesses.
The Report Aims To Cover
India’s mobile gaming landscape Trends, developments and challenges
Market opportunity Government regulations
Target audience and scope Scope for fantasy gaming in India
Revenue models and customer profiles Future outlook and projections

Executive Summary
326 Mn $1.2 Bn 6th $8.8
India’s mobile gaming Average revenue per

Number of mobile Size of India’s mobile market ranking in world mobile gaming user,
gamers in India in 2020 gaming market, 2020 on the basis of market 2020
size, 2020
111 41% 6.1% $1.6 Bn
Estimated future Forecasted size of India’s

Ranking of India on the Surge in the time Compound Annual mobile gaming market,
basis of mobile gaming spent on gaming apps Growth Rate (CAGR) 2025
user penetration, 2020 during Covid-19 during 2020-2025

Introduction
Rising adoption of smartphones and implementation of direct carrier billing have been major catalysts for the Indian mobile gaming market.
Today, publishers are betting on simulation, sports and social card games to tap this opportunity.
Before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, India’s mobile game market had drawn plenty of attention, keeping pace with peers in
terms of game development. Over 75% of Indians used the internet every day, with users in the 16-29 year age-bracket as their primary target
audience.
Over the past few years, the mobile gaming market has witnessed phenomenal growth in India, with more than 400 gaming startups,
entertaining around 326 Mn mobile gamers in 2020.
The Indian mobile gaming market is expected to reach $1.6 Bn by the end of 2025. The industry has gained momentum due to a jump in
smartphone users, courtesy growing young population, rising interest in gaming and evolving ease of use.

Covid-19 Impact On Indian Mobile Gaming Startups
The outbreak of Covid-19 proved to be a boon for Indian mobile gaming startups. During this period:
Time spent on gaming apps surged 41%
Mobile game downloads soared in April, reaching a peak of 197 Mn in a single week — a 75% jump compared to the weekly
average of previous quarter
Ludo King, PUBG Mobile, Clash of Clans and Teen Patti–Online Poker were some of the popular products that gained traction
Mobile gamers’ share increased to more than 89%
Games in the arcade, casual and casino categories spiked more than 150% in terms of app usage (January-April 2020)
Users of online gaming platform Adda52Rummy from Delhi, Kolkata and Gujarat increased
No. of mobile gamers using Paytm grew three-fold in March
Paytm Games’ Rummy gained most traction, with both the number of users and gameplays doubling every week
Daily active user base of Ludo King leaped from 13 Mn - 15 Mn to 50 Mn

India’s Mobile
Gaming Landscape
Evolution Of Mobile Gaming In India
India’s Mobile Gaming Industry In Three Phases
The early growth phase saw many This stage will witness high number of gamers,
revolutionary developments such as launch of game publishers and developers.
The first legendary mobile game was launched
Apple and its app store in 2007, launch of
by Nokia named as Snake Game in 1997 on a
Android play store in late 2008
black and white screen.
Launch of Tap, Tap Revenge in 2008, Doodle
Jump in 2009, Angry Birds in 2010 and Temple
Run in 2011, all proved to be mega hits.
Nokia introduced OS- S40 in 1999 and S60 in
2001 which gave birth to different mobile games
made on Java and in JAR format.
The emergence of second generation of mobile

gaming started, downloading games became
possible through stores or websites. In the late growth stage, market will witness Games will have higher technology integration,
growth of online gaming, esports, skill based diversified genres and more user friendly UI.
games and fantasy sports. Also, there will be
technological advancement such as VR and AR.
I : Emerging Phase II : Growing Phase III : Maturity Phase

1990 - 2005 2006- 2025 2025>

Mobile Gaming In India: A Timeline
Late 1990s Early to mid-2000s 2007 2008-2015 2016-2017 2018-2020
Nokia embedded its first Console and PC gaming Launch of Apple and Tap Revenge (2008), In 2016 alone, more Indian PUBG’s launch in India led
mobile game, Snake, on companies started to Android app stores Doodle Jump (2009), developed games topped to double-digit percentage
its handsets in 1998. invest in the mobile radically changed the Angry Birds (2010) and the local download charts growth in the number of
gaming market. In early mobile gaming market. Temple Run (2011) were on Google Play than ever mobile gamers.
Japan’s success of 2000s, Snake Xenzia was mega hits for the mobile before. Google launched cloud
I-Mode network-based released, and later moved gaming industry. Freemium and Virtual gaming service Stadia
games created a boom to a red-and-white colour Reality Games supported which allowed users to
for WAP-games – users scheme, which gave a The year 2012 saw the growth of the mobile play without a console
could play these games boost to mobile gaming. success of games such as gaming industry.
using WAP browsers CSR Racing, Clash of
installed on their phones. Between 2001 and 2007, Clans, Hay Day, Puzzles & Around 40-50 Mn people
industry giants’ games, Dragons and Candy Crush played games on their
from the likes of Sonic the Saga in terms of smartphones and feature
Hedgehog, Tiger Woods monetization. In early 2013, phones, at an annual
Golf, Madden NFL, The Supercell announced its growth rate of 40-50% in
Prince Of Persia, Sands of games were generating 2015.
Time and Splinter Cell, $2.4 Mn in revenue a day.
found their way to mobile At $206.5 Mn (2016),
devices for the first time. augmented reality-based
game Pokemon Go topped
the charts in terms of
gross revenue generation
by any mobile game ever
in the first month.

India Vs The World In The Mobile Gaming Arena
India ranks sixth in terms of size of domestic mobile gaming market
China enjoys a leadership position, followed by the US, Japan, South Korea and the UK
India ranks 111th in user penetration (2020)
Mobile Phones Remain the Primary Gaming device

Mobile phones remain the most popular device used for playing games globally. Gaming consoles have the highest usage in the UK, with tablets being used in India
more than any other country and Italy has the highest computer usage when it comes to playing games.
Country Coumputer Tablet Gaming Console Mobile Phone
France 1.72 1.11 1.60 2.12
Germany 1.73 0.95 1.39 1.83
India 1.87 1.24 1.40 2.63
Italy 1.99 1.06 1.64 2.21
Japan 1.10 0.94 0.97 2.82
South Korea 1.77 0.97 0.91 2.48
Singapore 1.57 1.09 1.03 2.41
United Kingdom 1.51 1.17 1.66 1.82
United States 1.55 1.15 1.52 2.11
Global 1.65 1.08 1.35 2.27
Source: The State Of Online Gaming 2020

Note: Scale 0-4, where 0 indicates the device is never used and 4 indicates the device is used most of the time
India Vs Others: State Of Mobile Gaming
Growth In Average Annual Spent By Mobile Gamers
China India
3.3% 75.2% Global Time spent India
6.33
on gaming
(hours/week) 6.35
US Indonesia
1% 3.3%
Source: State of Online Gaming Report 2020,

Note: Growth calculated for the period between 2018 and 2020
Limelight Networks
Source: Global Games Market Report, Newzoo 2018

China US Japan South Korea United Kingdom India
Market Size, 21,251.4 10,730.6 6,850.1 2,356.2 1,512.0 1,235.3

2020 (In $ Mn)
Ranking According
1 2 3 4 5 6
To Market Size
Smartphone Users In 851.2 260.2 72.6 36.1 55.5 502.2

2019 (In Mn)
Smartphone 59.9% 79.1% 57.2% 70.4% 82.9% 36.7%

Penetration Rate, 2019
User Penetration Rate 36.18 44.45 N/A 42.46 30.16 10.08

(2020)
User Penetration 3 1 N/A 2 4 111

Ranking (2020)
Average Revenue Per 35.18 72.94 199.13 108.08 73.7 8.88

User (In $)
Future CAGR for 2.1% 1.1% -0.7% 1.7% 1.2% 6.1%

Mobile Gaming
Market Size
(2020-2025)

China US Japan South Korea United Kingdom India
Top 5 Mobile Games Game For Peace

Coin Master Dragon Quest Blade & Soul:
Walk Coin Master PUBG MOBILE
Revolution
On The Basis Of
Consumer Spending
(2019) Perfect World Romancing Saga
PUBG MOBILE Brawl Stars
Reuniverse ROBLOX Free Fire
Matchington
Arknights Black Desert
Mansion Lineage 2 Star Trek Fleet Coin Master
Command
CrazyRacing
Professional
KartRider Homescapes Langrisser Rise of Kingdoms
Baseball Spirits A Rise of Kingdoms
Sangokushi Game of Thrones:

Strategy Maﬁa City Rise of Kingdoms Merge Dragons Last Shelter:
Conquest
Survival
Major Native Mobile

Gaming Publishers/
Developers
Source: Inc42 Plus, Statista, Secondary Articles

Value Chain Analysis
Purchases
Revenue Share
Mobile Carriers Realignment of entities/stakeholders
Promotion/Payment along with addition of multiple revenue
streams has led to the development of
the mobile gaming ecosystem
Service Stakeholders such as mobile operators

Revenue Share Platforms
Revenue Share and game publishers need to work hand
Publishers Users
Developer Game Coding
in glove to boost the appeal of mobile
Game DL
Game Coding Game / Ads
gaming to their audiences
Operators in customer-facing positions

Revenue Share App
will have to incorporate innovative
Market
Revenue Share Purchases business models to enhance the overall
Ad
size of the addressable mobile gaming
Ad Spend Spend
Ad Revenue Ad market, and encourage more people to
Ad Agency Sales
Rights sample mobile games
Budget
Online/
Payment
Offline Media
Ad Networks
Ad Spend Payment Fee
Branding/ Viral
Source: Inc42 Plus

India’s Mobile Gaming Ecosystem
Ecosystem Major Companies
Network Operator
Publishers
Channels PK GAMERS
OEM
Payment Gateways
Ad Networks
Mobile Game Networks
Source: Inc42 Plus, Secondary Articles

Mobile Gaming In India: Key Highlights
In a shift from the past, Indian makers now develop games for the Indian audiences, instead of targeting western markets first,
and subsequently enhancing their reach back home
In 2019, 5.6 Bn mobile gaming apps were downloaded in India - the highest around the globe
The number of mobile gamers in India is estimated to increase from 85.9 Mn in 2017 to 326.0 Mn by the end of 2020
Indian gaming industry’s revenue growth is pegged at 24.5% (CAGR) during 2017-2020
Indian developers are dominating the gaming market, with local games such as Online Rummy, Teen Patti, Ludo, Snakes,
Checkers and Chess
Most homegrown developers are focusing heavily on the localisation of games, adding unique Indianised features
Online games are not limited to just two but multiple players; players can win more money by playing rummy for cash at
multiplayer tables, which are more popular among them
PUBG has boosted the Indian mobile gaming market; originally a PC game, PUBG was shifted to mobile platforms in March 2018;
it crossed 50 Mn users in India by May 2019
Publishers have gained popularity by rolling out mobile versions of their games; PUBG Mobile, Fortnite, Asphalt Legends, Alto’s
Odyssey and Call of Duty are some of the most successful names in this context

Mobile Gaming Market Is Poised To Take Off And Reach
$1.6 Bn By 2025
Mobile Gaming is estimated to grow at a CAGR 6.1 % during 2020-2025
2,000.0 15.00%
13.38%
1,500.0
Market Size (In $ Mn)
10.00%
Growth rate in %
1,000.0
5.00%
500.0
0.0 0.00%
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Source: Statista
Note: Data as of July, 2020
Mobile Games Classification By Genres
Genre Description Popular Mobile Games
Problem-solving skills including logic, pattern

Puzzle recognition, sequence solving, word completion
and others
Two Dots Laserbreak Monument Valley The Room Two Unblock Me
Physical challenges including hand-eye

Action
coordination and reaction time
Marvel Contest Call of Duty Into the Dead 2 Mortal Kombat WWE Mayhem
Gamer(s) uninfluenced decision making skills

Strategy
have high impact on outcome of the game
Civilization 6 Rebel Inc Pocket City Rome: Total War Final Fantasy Township
Tactics
Interactive story based games, usually played

Adventure
as an individual protagonist
Batman The Walking Dead Harry Potter The Wolf Among PUBG Mobile Modern
Us Season 2 Combat 5
NOVA Legacy Prey Day: Survival –

Craft and Zombie
Racing competition with land, air or sea based

Racing
vehicles
CSR Racing Real Racing 3 Hill Climb Motorsport Riptide GP :
Racing 2 Manager Renegade
Mobile 3

Mobile Games Classification By Genres
Genre Description Popular Mobile Games
Mostly single player games with short

Arcade
levels, intuitive control schemes and
Osmos HD Robo Defense Shadowgun Samurai II: Asphalt 9: Brawl Stars
increasing difficulty levels Vengeance Legends
Crossy Road
Sports Sports based simulations

FIFA Mobile NBA Live Virtua Tennis EA Sports UFC PES 2019 Grand
Mountain
Adventure
RBI Baseball 20
Skill Based/ Games in which outcome is dependent on a

Chance Based gamer’s mental skills
Adda 52 Rummy Chess Ludo King Adda 52 Poker 8 Ball Pool Candy Crush
Saga
Temple Run 2
Source: Inc42 Plus

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Mobile Game Genre Preference
By Gender
Puzzle
Action
Strategy
Genre
Sports
Adventure
Social card game
Penetration x Time spent amoungst users (min/day)
Female gamers Male gamers
Source: KPMG Report, 2017

Genre Preferences Across Age Groups
By Age Group
penetration (In decreasing order of reach)
Action
Gaming genres with more than 20%
Puzzle
Puzzle
Puzzle
Arcade
Adventure
Racing
Action Arcade
Puzzle
Adventure
Arcade Adventure
Adventure
Sports
Racing Action
Action
Strategy
below 24 years 25-34 years 35-54 years 55+ years
Average number
of games on
mobile phone
5 4 3 2
Source: KPMG Report, 2017

Puzzle, Action & Adventure Games Made To The Top 3
Preferred Genres
Both heavy as well as casual gamers have shown similar genre preferences
7.0%
Chance Based
12.0%
12.0%
Skill Based
17.0%
14.0%
Strategy
30.0%
18.0%
Sports
31.0%
22.0%
Racing
34.0%
23.0%
Arcade
37.0%
26.0%
Adventure
40.0%
30.0%
Action
49.0%
37.0%
Puzzle
54.0%
0.0% 10.0% 20.0% 30.0% 40.0% 50.0% 60.0%
Casual Gamers Heavy Gamers

Source: KPMG Report 2017
Total Addressable Audience
Mobile Gamers Account For 81.5% Of Overall Online Gamers
In 2020
Indian mobile gamer base grew by 12.8% CAGR between 2016-2020
Source: Statista
Understanding Indian Gamers' Profile
Time Spend On Mobile Gaming

250 Mn+ 3 out of 4
Indian gamers play mobile Less than 10 minutes
Mobile Gamers in India 7%
games more than twice a day
60 Mins+
Amongst
25% 10-30 minutes
Top 5 Daily avg. time spent playing

gaming countries globally mobile games
27% 30-60 minutes
45% of mobile gamers are females and out of which

58% are moms
26% 1-2 hours
Older audiences regularly engage with mobile games.

16% More than 2 hours
Nearly 1/3rd of gamers are aged 35+
Source: Kantar IMRB, 2018 Source: Kantar IMRB, 2018; Pokkt survey, 2018
Mobile Gaming: Redefining Family Time
Gaming Takes Over TV Owned Prime Prime time is no longer restricted to TV thanks
to the constant evolution of media landscape
Time In India and the exposure of consumers to a wide
variety of touch points. Traditionally, it is
defined as the time slot between 6 pm to
50%
midnight, characterised with highest TV
viewership.
39%
The definition of prime time, however, also
seems to be evolving, considering the highest
degree of mobile gamer engagement during
25% 25% these hours. By and large being a solo activity,
mobile gaming has impacted the family time
17% in a more typical sense, which involved
13% consumption of the same content by family
13% members of different age groups in case of
TV.
Early Morning Afternoon Late Evening Night Late Night

Morning Afternoon
Source: Kantar IMRB and Pokkt survey, 2018

Men Vs Women: Preferred Time For Playing Mobile Games
While men mostly play mobile games any time between 6 pm and 12 am, while, women prefer 9
pm to 12 am, from 9 pm to 12 am. Similar patterns are noticeable in metros as well as other cities,
indicating that prime time is the most preferred slot for playing games.
56% 56%
44%
41% 48%
40%
27% 27% 30% 27% 25% 33%
19% 25% 26%

22% 18%
16% 23%
18%
14%
14%
13% 12% 12% 10%
09%
0%
Early Morning Afternoon Late Evening Night Late Night Early Morning Afternoon Late Evening Night Late Night
Morning Afternoon Morning Afternoon
Metro Non-Metro Female Male
Source: Kantar IMRB and Pokkt survey, 2018

Note: Based on a survey of 627 (male), 220 (female); residing in metros (518), and non-metros (329)
Revenue Models
Revenue Model Description
Free To Play With Upgrades These are initially free to download but require payment for various upgrades provided in the game
Freemium The user can download and play these for free, but small, in-game purchases, also called
micro-transactions, are applicable; popular examples are Clash Royale, Candy Crush Saga and
Fortnight Battle Royale
Advertising In this model, the user is not charged but the game contains ads, with an aim of generating revenue
Display ads: Static ads, dynamic display ads, banner ads, video ads, pop-up ads etc.
Interstitial ads: These are commonly placed in games with a level-based progression; ads are
displayed between levels, utilising a natural break in the gameplay, therefore relatively less intrusive
Incentivised ads: These ads come with in-game incentives, like a play currency or a boost, in
exchange for viewing or interacting with an ad
Contextual ads: These are integrated into games, often as branded virtual items or storefronts within
the scope of gameplay
Shareware This model allows users to play a free trial/demo version of the game, but requires them to make a
payment to unlock the full game; it provides a limited gameplay with the goal of enticing the player to
purchase the full version
Source: Inc42 Plus

Trends And Key Developments
Expansion Packs Are The Way To Go

An expansion pack simply adds to an existing mobile game. Until now, expansion packs were designed only for high-profile PC-
and console-based games. Mobile app developers are in the process of opening up to the idea of expansion packs, which are
an effective way to retain original consumers. This is achieved by luring them to return for a more enhanced experience.
Rise Of Mini Games

These are games that crop up in their larger counterparts. No additional installation steps are required to be performed at
user-end. These games are often socially integrated, by the promotion of sharing and competition amongst friends.
Rapidly Rising CPI

Costs associated with finding new players for mobile games that generate more revenue are already high, and the cost per
install (CPI) is bound to increase with growing competition. Even the most well-known franchises and their games have to meet
steep costs to find and retain players.
New Approach Towards Updates

Mobile game updates are now designed to go beyond regular bug fixes, with major developers adopting a game-as-a-service
model to enhance the user’s experience as well as engagement. Software experts predict rapid growth of feeder apps that are
simple but addictive, therefore effective

Startup Funding Landscape
A drop in fund-raising by developers in 2019 and the first half of 2020 has led to a rather tepid investor interest in the Indian mobile
gaming market. Though the number of deals increased in 2019, the value of deals reduced 2018 onwards.
Mobile Gaming Funding Trends In India

Just 48 startup funding deals were recorded between 2014 and H1 2020
125.0 20
110.6 16
100.0
15
88.2
Amount In $ Mn
Deal Count
75.0
10 73.7
10
8
50.0
4 5
25.0 4
3 3
23.3
0.7 1.2 8.6
0.0 0
2014 2015 2016 2017 2019 H1 2020
2018
Total Fundng Amount (In $ Mn) Deal Count

Source: Inc42 Plus Analysis
Note: 2020 funding data is till H1 2020
Top Sub-Sectors And Hubs
There has been consistent investor interest in some of the leading market players, supporting rapid growth in fantasy sports. Total
funding in this segment was at $306.2 Mn from 2014 till the first half of 2020.
Fantasy Games Rules Funding Charts In India

Between 2014 and H1 2020, fantasy gaming startups raised $180 Mn in funding, making 58% of the
total funding secured by gaming startups
Esports
0.3%
Casual
5.1% Fantasy
Strategy
58.9%
3.7% Funding Amount
Social
3.7%
Others
25.9%

Mumbai Leads In Mobile Gaming Startup Funding In India
Mumbai is headquarter for India's top mobile gaming startups such as Dream11, Nazara Technologies,
Halaplay which helped it in being leader in this space in terms of funding.
100.0
75.0
Amount In $ Mn
50.0
25.0
0.0

Investor Trends And Funding Stages
Stagewise Breakdown: Mobile Gaming Funding In India
125.0
1.7
100.0
100.0
1.8
79.0
Amount In $ Mn
3.3
75.0
70.4
50.0
0.3
25.0
0.2
23.0
0.7 1.2
7.4 8.8 8.4
0.0
Seed Stage Late Stage Growth Stage

Note: For 2020, data till June has been considered

Stagewise Breakdown: Mobile Gaming Funding In India
A massive rise in growth stage funding deals was seen in first half of 2020 with startups in this stage
raking in $118.7 Mn funding between 2014 and H1 2020

Note: 2020 funding data is till H1 2020

Top Investors In India's Mobile Gaming Segment
Investor Name Notable Bets In Gaming
Source: Inc42 Plus

Note: Data has been considered from 2014-H12020
M&As In Indian Mobile Gaming Segment
Startup Startup Location Acquisition Year Acquired By Acquisition Amount
Chennai 2016 Undisclosed
Hyderabad 2018 $1 Mn
Mumbai 2018 Undisclosed
Pune 2019 Undisclosed
Bengaluru 2019 $6 Mn
Delhi NCR 2019 Undisclosed

Financial Performance Of Top Mobile Gaming Startups
Mobile Gaming Startups Face The Profitability Battle
Freemium model is not helping startups to generate more revenue
Dream 11 112.4
-131.0
Junglee Games 26.3
-23.3
Moonfrog Labs 18.7
-11.3
Nazara 7.8
-7.3
99Games 3.8
-4.8
Startups
HalaPlay 3.1
-7.2
Paytm First Games 1.8

-5.5
0.6
Winzo Games
-1.2
0.4
MPL -12.5
0.2
9stacks -0.7
0.0 25.0 50.0 75.0 100.0 125.0
Expense In $ Mn Revenue In $ Mn
Note: Exchange rate, 1INR =0.014 USD
Note: Standalone Financials For FY19 Are Considered © Inc42 Media | not for distribution 37
Dream 11 : Mobile Gaming Startup Outlier
Mobile gaming startups struggle to gain revenue
150.0
100.0
Revenue (In $ Mn)
50.0
0.0
0 25 50 75 100
Expense (In $ Mn)
Note: Exchange rate, 1INR =0.014 USD

Industry Analysis Of
India’s Mobile Gaming
Market
Porter’s Five Forces Analysis
Porter Five Force Degree Description
Industry Rivalry High Large Number Of Companies: The mobile gaming industry has a large number of companies competing
with each other, which means high industry rivalry.
Low Switching Costs: A low switching cost for the consumer increases rivalry among competing
companies in the industry.
Low Level Of Product Differentiation: Products sold to the consumers are very much alike.
Diversity Of Rivals: Players in the portal provisioning industry hail from different backgrounds, such as
websites, TV stations, game development and mobile delivery, which makes it more difficult to judge a
rival’s moves and, in turn, intensifies competition.
Buyer Power High Multiple Portals: The presence of a large number of companies rivaling to win consumers in the mobile
gaming industry necessitates the need to please the buyer, leaving the consumer with greater power.
Low Switching Costs: A low cost for switching between different portal provisioning companies leaves the
customer with a higher bargaining power.
Fragmented Buyers: Buyers have their own, unique needs for mobile gaming which must be taken into
account.

Porter Five Force Degree Description
Entry Barriers High Low Technical Skills Required: Starting a company to foray into mobile gaming does not require any
special technical skills, as the games can be purchased directly from the publishers and aggregators
through websites, and hosted at wireless application service provisioners.
A company needs to purchase a transportation service from mobile delivery companies to be able to
provide the game to the consumer. Existing internet portals expand by adding more mobile games to
their content portfolio.
Easy Access To Distribution Channels: This entails low barriers for new entrants, as a company only
needs a webpage to to start distributing the product.
Brand Franchise: Consumers do not give preference to any special brands, which also ensures that entry
barriers remain low.
Threat Of High Mobile Entertainment: Often viewed as a substitute to mobile gaming, mobile entertainment includes
Subsitutes news, chat, video streaming, and even horoscope.
Electronic Games: Also viewed as a substitute to mobile gaming, electronic games address the user’s
need for playing games alternatively, through another platform. MSN Gaming and Yahoo Gaming are
examples of electronic games available on the Internet, whereas CounterStrike and Hitman are of those
played on a computer or a portable console, such as GameBoy.
Supplier Power Low Low Switching Costs: The cost of switching between different suppliers is fairly low for portal provisioning
companies, since the application developer gets paid each time the game is downloaded, and is not
arrived at based on a contract. That leaves the supplier with little power.
High Buyers Power: The buyer commands a higher power compared to the supplier, which means the
portals have to deliver services the customer demands, without any need for negotiating with the
supplier.
Concentrated Purchases: Many of the portal provisioning companies make concentrated purchases
either through bundled game packages or by requiring all games from one supplier. This concentration
of purchases weakens the supplier’s power.
Source: Inc42 Plus Analysis © Inc42 Media | not for distribution 41

Growth Drivers In India Mobile Gaming Market
Innovative Startups
New gaming startups are making a difference in virtual gaming through innovative platforms. For instance:
Gamezop has an unconventional way of engaging its target audience; it integrates its games inside popular apps, offering
more than 250 HTML5 games from third-party developers to users
Dream 11 combines fantasy gaming with some of the most popular sports in the world; endorsed by MS Dhoni, Dream 11 allows
users to leverage their knowledge of a sport and compete with other users during the course of a live match, be it football,
cricket, kabaddi, basketball or hockey
Creation Of Funds
Earlier, mobile games were published predominantly by smaller independent companies, such as Jamdat, Gameloft, I-play and
Glu. However, in recent years, a slew of established publishers have entered the mobile gaming business to leverage their success
in the console and PC segments. The ways in which console- and PC-game publishers have acquired a stake in the mobile
gaming business include a fund of undisclosed amount, launched in August by Delhi-based venture capital firm Lumikai. The fund
looks to invest in 15-20 early-stage gaming and interactive media startups in India.
Technological Upgradation: The Rise Of Artificial Intelligence, Augmented Reality And

Virtual Reality
Augmented reality- and virtual reality-based mobile gaming is poised to receive a significant push with the evolution of existing
headsets and smartphones. As these devices become more sophisticated and more capable of matching the quality of
dedicated gaming consoles and gaming PCs, the developers will be able to explore newer areas in the creation of assets for
gaming thanks to AI. A quicker and more affordable creation of projects, ranging from plotting to animation, will empower users
with a variety of options to choose from.

Robust Hardware
The esports gaming segment is evolving in India, with companies like Dell and Lenovo having already witnessed growth in
high-end gaming driven by smaller towns, on the back of significant demand for mobile consoles and other gaming hardware.
Hardware companies have witnessed a steady growth of more than 40% in mobile gaming equipment, highlighting a favorable
future of mobile gaming in the country.
Rural Uptake
With mobile internet becoming increasingly cheaper and more accessible, industry statistics reveal that up to 80% of regular
gamers are from outside metros, and 40-60% of India’s overall gaming population resides in Tier II and Tier III cities (2019). Cities
such as Mangalore, Guwahati, Jaipur and Bhubaneswar are reportedly home to a significant portion of online gamers in the
country, promising valuable support to its mobile gaming market.

Issues And Challenges In India's Mobile Gaming Market
Upgraded Technology Required

Mobile games demand specialised hardware support that enables users to play seamlessly at highest performance-output
settings. However, high-performance hardware comes at a steep price, given the degree of technological finesse involved. This
causes the industry to miss out on much higher participation potential, as it is forced to keep the pricing of systems in check.
Lack Of Skilled Manpower

Due to lack of resources as well as infrastructure, gaming developers in India often remain isolated from the latest technologies
and development kits being developed and utilized across the globe. Moreover, the unavailability of high-quality, localized
content has limited the gaming experience in the country.
Limited Funding
To provide customers with cutting-edge services, gaming companies operating in India require adequate funding for the
development of IP and infrastructure. Constraints in funding emanating from the global meltdown and credit crunch are likely to
affect the Indian gaming industry in the projected period.

Policy And Regulatory Framework For Mobile Gaming In India
Regulation has always been an area of concern for the mobile gaming industry. Lack of clarity on regulations surrounding the gaming
studios when it comes to monetizing their products is one of the common challenges in India’s online gaming market.
Currently, the country does not have well-defined laws on online gaming, gambling and fantasy sports. Segments such as online poker,
rummy and lotteries are still not governed by any dedicated law. The result is inevitable: online card games in India are also in limbo,
struggling against poorly-defined legal boundaries.
Online gaming, gambling and lottery websites currently do not comply with norms on internet intermediaries under the Information
Technology Act 2000. Similarly, almost all online poker websites in the country are in violation of one or more laws.
Regulations In Mobile Fantasy Sports In India

Law in India mandates fantasy sports to remain games of skill, and not become games of chance.
The Public Gambling Act 1867, which deals with premium fantasy sports in the country, criminalises gambling in a public forum,
but fails to distinguish between a game of skill versus a game of chance.
Roulette or three-card games such as Flush are games of chance. Betting on horse racing has been defined as a game of skill
by Indian courts, but again, the law varies from state to state.
Fantasy sports are legally permitted almost throughout the country, barring Assam, Odisha and Telangana.
Games involving a considerable and substantial degree of skill (mathematically, more than 50%) don’t fall within the betting
category, and are legal in India.

The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) regulates fantasy industry standards in the country, and sets the self-regularisation norms,
until the government comes out with any standards and laws.
A GST of 18% is applicable on games that are based on skill, such as Dream11, which comes under the fantasy sports gaming category.
Sikkim is the only state in India to have enacted a law for online gambling and sports-betting. The state government amended the Sikkim
Online Gaming (Regulation) Act 2008 in August 2015.
The Act restricts licensed online games and sports games to the physical premises of gaming parlors within the geographical boundaries
of the state through intranet gaming terminals.
Nagaland recently passed The Nagaland Prohibition of Gambling and Promotion and Regulation of Online Games of Skill Act 2016, which
allows a licensee to offer games of skill in the other parts of the country subject to the condition that such games are not classified as
gambling in the target state. The Act also acknowledges the power of each state to regulate the gaming activity within its jurisdiction.

Fantasy Sports
Market In India
Fantasy Sports Users In India
Online fantasy sports gaming (OFSG) is based on skill
where sports enthusiasts create their own teams
virtually, by selecting actual players for upcoming
120.0
real-life matches. The teams are then ranked and
100 rewarded in proportion to real-life performances,
100.0
therefore leaving the odds not only on chance but
Fantasy sports users in Mn
also on skill. These games are widely played across

80.0 sports categories such as cricket, football, kabaddi
and basketball.
60.0
50
Along with the growth of the fantasy gamer base, the
40.0
number of fantasy game operators has increased
20 from 10 in 2016 to 70 by the end of 2018. These
20.0 operators largely run on the basis of freemium or
2 pay-to-play models. Users can participate in
0.0 free-to-join practice contests or pay-to-join cash
Jun-16 Dec-17 Feb-19 2020E contests, which offer an opportunity to win a
monetary return.
Source: KPMG Report 2019
Prominent reasons behind the rise in adoption of
fantasy sports include the emergence of sports
Popular Games: Most popular sports are all available on fantasy sports leagues, growth in digital infrastructure and
platforms. In Dream11, for instance, cricket is the most popular sport, increased investor interest.
accounting for about 85% of its user base.

Fantasy Sports In India: Competitive Scenario
On the competition front, around 90% of the Fantasy sports competition is dominated by Dream 11, followed by other players which offer other
games.
Dream 11 is the Official Fantasy Game Partner of the International Council of Cricket (ICC), VIVO Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), Hero Indian Super
League (ISL), National Basketball Association (NBA), Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL), International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Big Bash
League (BBL).
Company Inception Key Investors Sports Available Format Business Model Users (Mn.)
2008 Cricket, Kabaddi, NBA, Daily and Season Freemium 100

Football, Hockey Long Contests
2017 NA Cricket, Football, Daily Freemium 15+

Kabaddi
2017 Cricket, Football, Daily Only Paid 9

Kabaddi
2018 NA Cricket, Football Daily Only Paid 3+
2013 Cricket, Football, Daily Freemium 1.0

Kabadi
2013 Football, Basketball, Daily Freemium 1.2

Cricket, Tennis, Kabadi
Source: Company Websites, Inc42 Plus

Emerging Trends In
Customer Experience
Powered By
How CRM Can Level Up Your Gaming
Experience
With more people staying at home than ever before, mobile gaming is now exponentially more
popular. It’s a way to escape reality and immerse oneself in a fun, fast-paced environment. This can
be particularly valuable now that so many people are struggling with isolation and anxiety following
the lockdown. In this context, running into technical issues can be a massive turn-off, potentially
triggering players to exit the game in frustration. That’s why investing in customer experience (CX)
— and the right customer relationship management (CRM) solution — is so important.
When it comes to gaming, CX is an integral part of the gaming experience. Players want to be able
to contact the game publishers for bug fixes, game-related queries and billing issues without
having to leave their game, especially competitive games where every second counts. This is where
in-game support services are vitally important in keeping players engaged. Connecting players
with support agents within the game not only gives players a more seamless experience, but it also
KT PRASAD provides agents with valuable context. This ultimately speeds up resolution times, which makes for
MD and RVP Sales, a happy player.
India & SAARC, Zendesk
AI-powered chatbots provide gaming companies with a quick, efficient solution to keep their users
engaged - especially during peak hours. They not only deliver interactive answers to any number of
players simultaneously with no wait time, but improve responses over time by learning from data
generated from past customer service interactions. This in turn frees up the agents’ time to handle
more complex queries. With such benefits, it’s not surprising that the use of AI and machine learning

in customer service is on the rise. In fact, our data showed that companies using Answer Bot have nearly doubled since 2017 and over 60% of
these are consumer-facing companies.
Going hand in hand with chatbots is self-service. Customers tend to only seek agent support when they can’t find answers themselves. Having
a comprehensive knowledge base can help level up your customer experience. A good starting point is to look at your customer data to
pinpoint what information they often seek. To do this, you need to understand what your players really need from you to be able to solve their
issues without opening a ticket. Using these insights, you can then deploy that information at the right place and at the right time.
Many gaming giants concur with the importance of placing their customers at the center of everything that they do. Rovio, for instance, has
service agents from within the game. This gives agents valuable context related to user experience and thus speeds up resolution times. On
the other hand, Riot Games have developed a Player Support Integration tool that detects player information and history much faster and
accordingly directs them to relevant information.
Gamers tend to be extremely vocal about what they need, which gives gaming companies the extra challenge of providing a top-notch
support experience in addition to the game itself. Incorporating a CRM like Zendesk goes a long way in giving gamers the memorable gaming
experience they seek — by delivering quick, seamless customer service; all while keeping them engaged in their virtual world.

Higher Volumes Of Customer Requests May Be Here To Stay
Surge In Customer Support Ticket Volume To Around Two Times
The Average During May 2020
Forget predictability in 2020. At the peak of the
10,000
pandemic, support tickets in Gaming surged to
around 2 times the average.
However, the ticket volume for Gaming peaked

Avg. Ticket Volume For Gaming
7,500 about 6-7 weeks into the lockdown - a bit later than
other sectors which saw their peaks closer to the
lockdown date.
5,000 Though the ticket volume has stabilized - at 33

percent above pre-pandemic levels, the average
ticket volume in the Gaming sector has still grown
significantly. By contrast, the average ticket increase
2,500 across all sectors is just 16 percent.
0
0 5 10 15
Weeks into lockdown
*In the above chart, lockdown refers to India lockdown date / week
Source: Zendesk
Preferred Medium Of Communication
WhatsApp Became The Preferred Support Channel Across Regions

During The Pandemic
The rise of WhatsApp
248
250%
If there is one support channel that has seen an
unabated rise during the pandemic, it’s WhatsApp.
200%
Global growth in WhatsApp support conversations

Growth rate in %
150% 139 currently stands at 111 percent since February,

followed by text/SMS (a distant second at 15
100%
97 percent), social media (up 11 percent), and chat (up
10 percent).
66
59 60
50% Especially in the case of Gaming, these numbers are
30
13 2624
9 9 7 9 10 astonishingly high with WhatsApp support tickets
5 4 3
0% surging by over 400% when compared to
-6 -1
-14 -12 -6 pre-pandemic levels. However, this WhatsApp surge
-13 -17
-17 has been accompanied by a massive decline in
-50%
-51 -52 ticket volumes across other channels.
AMER APAC EMEA LATAM
Chat Email/Web form FB/Twitter DM Phone Social Media
Text WhatsApp
Source: Zendesk
WhatsApp Dominated In Terms Of Customer Support Tickets With
Over 400% Jump
500%
400.7%
Increase in support tickets from Feb 2020 to Aug 2020
400%
300%
200%
100%
0%
-15.3%
-28.6%
-36.8%
-42.7%
-100%
FB/ Twitter DM Phone Social Media Text WhatsApp

Source: Zendesk
Customer Self-Service
Help Centers Come To The Rescue As Gaming Support Queries

Shoot Up By 33%
200%
195%
Help centers tame spiking
tickets by empowering
customers to find quick
150%
149% answers
117% With higher-than-normal ticket averages

seemingly here to stay, many companies
100% are finding success with help centers.
78%
70%
64% This is especially prominent in sectors like
49% Gaming, Education, Remote Work, and
50%
33%
39% Fitness. Gaming companies saw a 64
30%
24%
19% 23%
percent rise in help center views, while the
16%
8% corresponding tickets increase was around
6%
0% 33 percent.
Fitness Remote Groceries Online Gaming Food Ecommerce Retail
work Health Delivery
learning
Growth in Help Center Views Growth in Ticket Volume
Source: Zendesk © Inc42 Media | not for distribution 57

Consumer Perception
Towards Fantasy
Sports In India
Customer Service Is The Most Desired Factor For Consumers While
Choosing Fantasy Games
Indian customers are less bothered about bonus & offers while choosing fantasy games
Customer Service 949
Rule Based & Transparency 658
Point System 492
Monetary Gains 346
Bonus and Offers 285
0 250 500 750 1000
Source: Clootracks Survey & Inc42 Plus

Note: Sample Size (46,577 conversations)
Halaplay Is The Most Preferred Brand In The Fantasy Games
Category
However, Dream 11 is more preferred in terms of rule based & transparency
1250
1000
750
500
250
Customer Service Rule Based & Transparency Point System Monetary Gains Bonus and Offers
Dream11 MPL HalaPlay
Source: Clootracks & Inc42 Plus Analysis

Note: Brand Equity Score (0 to 1500)
Consumer Preference For Fantasy Sports In India
Fantasy Sports In India: Engagement Analysis
More than 5 times a week
20.0%
4-5 times a week Once a week

6.0% 47.0%
2-3 times a week
27.0%
Source: KPMG Survey, 2019

Amount Spent On Fantasy Sports Platforms Per Month
In India, around 54% of the people spend zero money on fantasy platforms per month
More than ₹ 1001
8.0%
₹ 501- ₹ 1000
18.0%
₹ 301- ₹ 500
10.0%
Free User
54.0%
₹ 101- ₹ 300
11.0%
₹ 0- ₹ 100
9.0%

Fantasy Sports In India: Mode Of Engagement
Mobile app is the most preferred platform for playing fantasy sports in india
Desktop
7.0%
Mobile App
Mobile Website
85.0%
8.0%

Type Of Sports Played On Fantasy Platforms
Cricket is the most preferred sport played on fantasy platforms
80%
71%
60%
54%
40%
20%
6% 5% 4%
0%
Cricket Football Kabaddi Basketball Others

Future Outlook And
Trends In Mobile
Gaming Industry
With the emergence of new technologies in the market, mobile gaming has gained both popularity and growth over the past few years.
Here are some key trends that are poised to drive growth of mobile gaming going forward:
Types Of Games Users Play

Growth in the battle royale category, such as PUBG and Free Fire, is likely to lose momentum. India’s new national obsession, PUBG - if it
makes a comeback - will continue amid strong competition from Free Fire, which is growing at a faster pace. On the other hand, the Indian
user is still lapping up board games such as Ludo and Carrom on mobile phones. Hyper casual games will drive growth of mobile gaming
in the country, and with a lot of mixing and matching of genres in the coming years.
Matured Growth In Real Money Games

India’s fantasy gaming market, dominated by Dream11, is set to gain more maturity, as the company strategically shifts its focus to the
business of sports from just gaming. The rummy market will also grow despite certain state-level legal hurdles. The sector, marked with
huge margins and a high average revenue per user (ARPU), will see the emergence of new categories of games.
Emergence Of Esports
Esports will continue to gain traction on mobile phones, with an increase both in the number of players and participation - local as well as
international - in tournaments. Over the next five years, esports will continue to attract young crowds, with a larger number of global
teams setting up their India operations as well as media companies foraying into the space.
Higher Investment
The real money gaming industry is likely to receive significant investment, which is expected to continue for the coming 3-4 years.
Venture capital firms Makers Fund and A16Z are focused on interactive entertainment.

Evolution Of Cloud Gaming
With the rollout of fiber-based broadband service Jio Fiber by Reliance Jio Infocomm, there is tremendous scope for startups to
experiment with their unique ideas of cloud gaming. This trend is expected to prevail in the next 10 years.
Focus On Gamification Strategy By Popular Mobile Apps

Mobile apps such as Paytm, PhonePe and Hotstar have started offering gaming activities to their users.

Analysts’ Recommendations For India’s Booming Mobile
Gaming Market
Customer Acquisition Strategies
Features And Value Creation

Instead of undertaking aggressive marketing on its own, a mobile game publisher should focus on collaborating with technology
giants such as Google and Apple. The game must provide significant value to the user, including a continuous story, new items, new
events, interaction with other players and customisation
Working With Ratings And Feedback

Mobile app platforms such as App Store and Google Play offer proper tools to monitor any low-rating feedback. Every rating is
important for acquisition. At an early stage, a rating of 5/5 is mostly unreachable, due to factors such as technical issues and the
variety of devices, especially in the Android platform.

Retention Factors
Easy Entry And First Impression

The publisher must launch a game with a proper integration tutorial to ensure ease of entry. Although most players finish the tutorial
successfully, publishers must strive to make it a seamless process, considering many players often skip the tutorial to try out the gaming
experience.
Game As A Service
It is easy to lose customers to competition because of the availability of a vast variety of free games. Companies successfully able to win
consumer loyalty use techniques such as calendar and daily rewards to motivate players to return to the game at regular intervals. The most
important part that determines an effective retention rate is the continuous updation of a game, and introduction of new characters, events
and in-game items.
Social Network Support

Publishers must consider engaging on social networks regularly to promote the game. This is a powerful and effective tool. A publisher can
get valuable feedback from its users upon introducing any new items.

Monetisation Strategies
Channels
In addition to rewarding ads and in-game purchases, companies should also work with merchandise channels. A prime example of this is
Canadian e-tailer Shopify.
Good Practices
Publishers must ensure good quality by removing any annoying features with a clear focus on highly enjoyable experience. Companies
should offer users the most affordable packs to boost their gaming experience once they start to seek personal value in the game.
Besides, the company should not put all options and offers on the table at an early stage of gaming experience. It is only after purchasing an
inexpensive pack that a user would even consider more advanced items.
Rewarding ads work well. Of course the user does not like ads, still a vast majority remains loyal to rewards ads, which allow the consumer to
earn in-game currency. It is good to set a limit to rewarding ads for players, to make them feel like they might miss an opportunity to earn
something for free.

Methodology
The report presents the study of datasets related to the mobile gaming market in India, which means any publisher or platform which
publishes any type of mobile gaming in India has been included. The datasets are collected from both primary and secondary sources. We
have also understood the total online gamers in the country and penetration of mobile gaming in the country. While defining market size for
mobile gaming, we have considered all types of games which are accessed online through mobile such as real money games, casual
games, strategy games and esports. The default base year for calculating growth rate (CAGR %) is 2020, unless mentioned otherwise. The
segregation of funding stages in this report is done on the following basis— seed stage (before pre series A), bridge (transition funding rounds
like Pre series A, B, C), Growth Stage (Series A and B) and Late Stage (Series C and beyond).
The future trends to look out for in 2020 are based on the smartphone penetration, number of subscribers and penetration for mobile gaming.
This report also covers the aspect of understanding Covid-19 behavior and assessing how the landscape of mobile gaming has changed with
the pandemic and how this will bring about a change in the mobile gaming sector in coming years by 2025.

Glossary
Mobile games
Mobile Games are defined as gaming applications for smart devices such as smartphones and tablets. Leading app stores like
Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store offer paid app-downloads (single purchases) and freemium games that are free to
download but normally allow in-app-purchases for various additional contents or access time. Physical games for mobile
consoles/handhelds and free-to-play gaming apps are not included.
Users
Users are the number of active paying mobile gamers in millions.
User Penetration
User penetration indicates the number of active paying mobile gamers out of the total population of that country
Mobile gamers
All the gamers (irrespective of whether they are paying or not for the game) who prefer mobile for gaming purposes.

Bibliography
https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/ad-tech/news/mobile-game-downloads-witness-39-surge-during-covid-19-lockdown/articleshow/75006959.cms
https://www.scribd.com/document/407788384/The-Evolving-Landscape-of-Sports-Gaming-in-India-pdf
https://technology.siliconindia.com/viewpoint/ceo-insights/does-india-require-a-regulatory-body-for-the-mobile-online-games-nwid-1718.html
https://mediakix.com/blog/how-do-mobile-games-make-money/
https://www.androidauthority.com/best-sports-games-android-534550/
https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-10-22-report-mobile-to-become-gamings-biggest-market-by-2015
https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/indias-gaming-market-dominated-by-mobile-games-with-revenue-of-150-mn-report-115110600794_1.html
https://www.sutori.com/story/the-history-of-mobile-phone-games--oxYN51N1pfW8DYbAe2CGG3yL
https://newzoo.com/products/reports/global-games-market-report/
https://www.volanews.com/portal/article/index/id/7165/%E3%80%90Exclusive%E3%80%91Real+Money+Games+India+Investment+Landscape/language/en.html
https://www.iis.sinica.edu.tw/~swc/pub/mobile_game_recommendation_using_gestures.html
https://www.animationxpress.com/wpcontent/uploads/2016/11/Mobile_Gaming_India_EN_17112016.pdf
https://www.nasscom.in/knowledge-center/publications/mobile-gaming-rise-india
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257162673_Mobile_gaming_Industry_challenges_and_policy_implications
https://www.dotcominfoway.com/blog/mobile-gaming-revenue-in-india-expected-to-reach-1.1million-dollar-by-2020/
http://lighthouseinsights.in/state-of-mobile-gaming-in-india.html/
https://www.gsma.com/membership/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Comviva_WP_MobileGaming.pdf
https://www.firstpost.com/tech/sports/easy-affordable-and-varied-how-no-frills-mobile-gaming-industry-thrives-in-india-8598931.html

www.inc42.com
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mission to empower, connect & grow the Indian Startup Ecosystem by providing a deep understanding of the startup economy through data-backed
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of startups, entrepreneurs, technological innovations, businesses and many other constituents of the startup ecosystem. Starting 5 years ago,
Inc42 has now become the gateway to the Indian startup ecosystem, having published more than 25,000 stories and touching the lives of more
than 25 Million people in India every month.
Credits
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Disclaimer
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MOBILE GAMING IN INDIA
Market Opportunity Report 2020
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MOBILE GAMING

05 Introduction Issues & Challenges

07 India’s Mobile Gaming Landscape 45 Policy And Regulatory Framework

Value Chain Analysis 56 Emerging Trends In Customer Experience

Mobile Games Classification By Genres 64 Future Outlook And Trends

Understanding Indian Gamer’s Profile 67 Analyst Recommendation

Trends And Key Developments 70 Methodology And Glossary

Financial Performance Of Top Players 72 Bibliography

The Report Aims To Cover

India’s mobile gaming landscape Trends, developments and challenges

Market opportunity Government regulations

Target audience and scope Scope for fantasy gaming in India

Revenue models and customer profiles Future outlook and projections

© Inc42 Media | not for distribution 3

326 Mn $1.2 Bn 6th $8.8

India’s mobile gaming Average revenue per

111 41% 6.1% $1.6 Bn

Estimated future Forecasted size of India’s

© Inc42 Media | not for distribution 4

© Inc42 Media | not for distribution 5

Time spent on gaming apps surged 41%

Mobile gamers’ share increased to more than 89%

No. of mobile gamers using Paytm grew three-fold in March

Daily active user base of Ludo King leaped from 13 Mn - 15 Mn to 50 Mn

© Inc42 Media | not for distribution 6

The emergence of second generation of mobile

I : Emerging Phase II : Growing Phase III : Maturity Phase

© Inc42 Media | not for distribution 8

Late 1990s Early to mid-2000s 2007 2008-2015 2016-2017 2018-2020

© Inc42 Media | not for distribution 9

India ranks 111th in user penetration (2020)

Mobile Phones Remain the Primary Gaming device

Country Coumputer Tablet Gaming Console Mobile Phone

France 1.72 1.11 1.60 2.12

Germany 1.73 0.95 1.39 1.83

India 1.87 1.24 1.40 2.63

Italy 1.99 1.06 1.64 2.21

Japan 1.10 0.94 0.97 2.82

South Korea 1.77 0.97 0.91 2.48

Singapore 1.57 1.09 1.03 2.41

United Kingdom 1.51 1.17 1.66 1.82

United States 1.55 1.15 1.52 2.11

Global 1.65 1.08 1.35 2.27

Source: The State Of Online Gaming 2020

3.3% 75.2% Global Time spent India

Source: State of Online Gaming Report 2020,

© Inc42 Media | not for distribution 11

Market Size, 21,251.4 10,730.6 6,850.1 2,356.2 1,512.0 1,235.3

Smartphone Users In 851.2 260.2 72.6 36.1 55.5 502.2

Smartphone 59.9% 79.1% 57.2% 70.4% 82.9% 36.7%

User Penetration Rate 36.18 44.45 N/A 42.46 30.16 10.08

User Penetration 3 1 N/A 2 4 111

Average Revenue Per 35.18 72.94 199.13 108.08 73.7 8.88

Future CAGR for 2.1% 1.1% -0.7% 1.7% 1.2% 6.1%

© Inc42 Media | not for distribution 12

Top 5 Mobile Games Game For Peace

Sangokushi Game of Thrones:

Major Native Mobile

Source: Inc42 Plus, Statista, Secondary Articles

© Inc42 Media | not for distribution 13

Service Stakeholders such as mobile operators

Operators in customer-facing positions

Source: Inc42 Plus

Mobile Game Networks