India, April 26 -- As the world stayed indoors during the pandemic years and actively looked for distractions to compensate for social isolation, gaming in all formats was a boon and none could escape their addictive attraction. India, too, was at a loose end and took to gaming as never before. The country recorded about 455 Mn online gamers in 2023, per a Statista report, an 8% YoY increase.

The number is likely to surpass 491 Mn by the end of 2024. More interestingly, about 90 Mn gamers paid for online games last year although India is traditionally a utilitarian and price-conscious market.

The adoption of interactive media is surging as well, driven by the rise in non-money gaming and over-the-top (OTT) audio/video content. Despite a...