How women are driving growth in India’s evolving gaming industry

Disclaimer: The article is authored by Mr. Arnold Su, Business Head, Consumer and Gaming PC, System Business Group, ASUS India.

India’s gaming industry has grown exponentially in the last couple of years. The Indian Gaming sector was valued at over ₹90 billion in the financial year 2020 and is expected to reach ₹143 billion by the end of 2022, according to a report by Statista. Rapid digitization fueled by COVID has led to the gaming industry gaining prominence in India and is expected to see further growth in years to come. The gaming sector is male-dominated with respect to the workforce, although women are increasingly breaking the traditional male bastion and are considering gaming as a career. As per the ‘Think with Google APAC – Play like a Girl Report, 2020’, close to 18% of all gamers in India are women and the numbers are rising at a faster rate as compared to male gamers. Women account for approximately ⅕th of this community. Like any other sector, women are opting for different roles in the Gaming sector and making it distinctive and inclusive.

Women have reached the highest level in the gaming industry and gaming can be perceived as a profession that can be followed by anyone. According to UK Quantibus survey, 51% of women are now gaming in some capacity compared to 53% of men, a 10% increase from the beginning of the pandemic. Moreover, 84% of women gamers are now playing at least once a week. As more and more people are acknowledging the fact that women gamers are opting for online gaming, the perspective toward women in gaming is gradually changing. This has become a source of inspiration for women gamers. Interestingly during COVID, we have seen substantial growth in women gamers mostly students who have excelled in the gaming industry.

With women adding up to 43% of smartphone gamers in India, online gaming has become a favorite pass time for many, as per the report by Inmobi. Low investment and easy to access are the common factors for the increase in gaming adoption. In India, 77% of female mobile gamers are devoted players who play frequently, on average for 53 minutes each day. E-Sports games like shooting, action-adventure, battle arenas, virtual sports and simulation, and real-time strategy are popular amongst women gamers. With the involvement of more and more women in the gaming ecosystem, they are not only taking major decisions but also revamping the gaming ecosystem. Shattering the gender stereotypes, women now are not just confined to gaming but are innovating designs, and characters and making a mark in the industry. Over time, India's gaming ecosystem may take inspiration from other countries, where female developers continue to improve existing games and create new formats and graphics exclusively for female gamers and challenge the gender stereotypes that continue to dominate.

Given the advancement, accessibility, and availability of the latest tech innovations, women's involvement in online gaming is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years. It's fair to presume that female gamer who don't fit the gaming stereotype of males will account for a substantial portion of future growth. As we advance toward more age and gender parity among online gamers, it is past time for the gaming industry to be designed properly to service this growing consumer sector.

The transition to the new normal is an excellent opportunity for Indian game creators looking to release titles for the domestic market. Additionally, it is good to see that some well-known gaming firms are heeding the trend and switching out typically male-dominated games for those starring women in the main roles. The total industry is gradually changing to make progress toward a more complete, inclusive, and gender-sensitive society. For female game developers and gamers, it feels like the moment is right to start working in this rapidly growing industry.