There’s no doubt that the video games industry in India is an ever-evolving market. What’s interesting is that it is emerging as one of the largest global markets and industry estimates suggest that India will be one of the leading players over the next few years. It’s been great to witness women contributing--and making their mark on--this industry. It’s fair to say that there’s been a notion that gaming has been a male-dominated market. However, the growing number of women gamers, and women interested in gaming is a positive indication for the country.
The growing interest of the female population in gaming in India
A recent study showed that over 43 percent of smartphone gamers last year in India were women. This is a milestone for our country. The rising smartphone usage obviously offers the scope for growth in casual gaming experiences amongst people of diverse age groups as opposed to the more ‘hardcore’ gaming community. The report also highlighted that gaming is becoming increasingly popular among women of all age groups. This again is a hugely positive sign and shows that women now have access to all the opportunities by overcoming restrictions related to their marital status, age, geography, etc.
Popular female gamers such as Monika Sherlock Jeph, Shagufta Xyaa Iqbal, Pooja Khatri, and Saloni Panwar are some examples of prominent online women gamers in India, and potentially worldwide too. Saloni in fact was the first woman to represent the country at an international e-sports tournament in Thailand, which is a fantastic achievement for the country in terms of representation.
The role of women in the growth of the Indian gaming industry
Speaking of the Indian video games industry, let’s take a look at some recent industry stats. The Indian online gaming market is projected to be valued at $2 billion by 2023, which is a significant projection considering the market was already at $1.02 billion back in 2020. It’s anticipated that it is expected to grow to $4.88 billion by 2026 -- this indeed is an exciting prospect.
Women are playing a multitude of roles and are contributing in their distinct ways to drive the growth of the Indian video games industry. This very trend was even highlighted at the Indian Gaming Summit last year, where industry experts shared their opinions that womens’ inclusion has surged in the industry and will continue to grow in the future.
Be it gamers, developers, or entrepreneurs, women are now playing a variety of roles in the development of games and the growth of the industry.
The Indian gaming market's efforts to ensure women's participation
Diversity and inclusion are at the game industry’s core these days. These approaches are helping to create more welcoming communities that open the door to more female gamers, entrepreneurs, and basically even more fans of gaming.
Better still for studios like ours, Indian game developers are gaining popularity amongst the country's female gamers, but there’s still a long way to go. However, we need to ensure that we focus our efforts on incorporating women-centric themes, as well as breaking the stereotypes associated with the way the characters are depicted – making sure everyone feels represented and included.
Women are not only securing prominent positions in game development studios, but are also entering the market as entrepreneurs by coming up with innovative ideas that could disrupt the gaming sector. Aside from the game development itself, it’s also promising to see more women entering marketing, communication and HR based roles within the industry too.
Summing up
Passionate women are increasingly entering the segment. They are taking centre stage with their talent, passion, and calibre. Whether it is being a gamer, C-suite executive, or streamer, the video game industry is offering a much wider range of opportunities to boost women's participation. As the sector is bracing for growth, the female population is prepared to play an integral role in its expansion.
Sumo India has employed talented women who are part of the cog that will keep our Pune and Bangalore studios running efficiently for years to come – there’s always room to improve and to ensure more women are represented and feel part of the industry, and that’s something that we and many other studios in India will strive towards.
-- The author, Sukhnoor Kaur, is a Senior Producer at Sumo India Studios. Views expressed herein are personal.
