The Indian gaming industry is shifting focus from rapid user growth to building sustainable foundations through infrastructure, scalable distribution, and disciplined product development. Its inflection point is driven by a rare alignment of massive market scale, a maturing talent pool of developers, and structural tailwinds.
Monetization is improving as the player base matures, with mid-core and core game genres gaining momentum and in-app purchase revenue rising to rival advertising revenue. Culturally-relevant Indian games are seen as having a competitive edge domestically due to a deeper understanding of local narratives and player preferences.
Browser-based gaming is regaining relevance due to new web technologies enabling high-performance games and offering distribution advantages like instant access. Sustainable growth is emphasized as relying on strong operational systems and fundamentals over short-term tactics, with AI expected to compress game production cycles.
Main Topics: India's gaming industry inflection point, evolving monetization models, cultural relevance of local games, the revival of browser-based gaming, and the importance of operational systems and AI in development.
As Indiaâs gaming ecosystem moves steadily toward global relevance, industry conversations are shifting beyond rapid user growth. The focus is now on infrastructure, scalable distribution, and disciplined product development as the foundations of long-term success.
Founders and operators with experience across international markets suggest that the next phase of growth will be defined by execution. Monetisation models are evolving, user acquisition costs are rising, and platform strategy is once again becoming central to sustainable expansion.
Among those contributing to this evolving perspective is Pawan Gaargi, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of US-based gaming company Monumental. Gaargiâs experience spans competitive sports and large-scale live-service titles.
Industry expert Gaargi discusses Indiaâs gaming inflection point, evolving monetisation dynamics, platform diversification, and the potential revival of browser-based distribution alongside mobile.
Why is Indiaâs gaming industry at an inflection point?
India has reached a rare alignment of scale, talent, and structural tailwinds. It is already the worldâs largest mobile gaming market by downloads1, with billions of annual installs and hundreds of millions of active players. At the same time, the supply side has matured. Hundreds of gaming startups have emerged in the past five years, and the market focus is shifting decisively toward digital gaming and esports. That combination of demand scale and developer capability creates conditions for structural acceleration.
Why are monetisation trends finally improving?
A clear structural shift is underway in the types of games gaining momentum.Mid-core and core genres are expanding and are on track to overtake casual games. That reflects a maturing player base that is investing more time in deeper experiences and is increasingly willing to spend. In-app purchase revenue has been consistently rising and is now at par with advertising revenue. Over the next few years, I expect in-app purchases to account for the majority share of industry revenue due to the changes in player behaviour we are seeing.
Can culturally-relevant Indian games outcompete global studios domestically?
Yes, because local studios can build what Indian gamers want and global teams struggle to replicate cultural intuition across narrative and game mechanics. Itâs about understanding what resonates with players from play patterns, social dynamics, and aspiration loops. We have already seen culturally-rooted formats dominate in India, and that domination will continue with games that embrace modern game development and the cultural depth that is present.
Why is browser gaming relevant again in 2026?
Previously, browsers lacked the computational capabilities required to run graphically intensive or performance-heavy games, which meant those experiences were largely confined to consoles or native mobile applications. That limitation has fundamentally changed. Modern browsers now support technologies like WebGL, WASM, and WebGPU, enabling high-quality, performance-intensive games to run seamlessly on the web. Beyond performance, browsers also offer structural distribution advantages, such as instant access for players and faster iteration cycles for developers. Together, these shifts position the browser as an increasingly powerful platform for the next phase of game growth.
What did reviving Zynga Poker teach you about systems?
It reinforced that in live-service games, outcomes lag systems. If telemetry, onboarding, segmentation, and live-ops cadence weaken, you can ship features continuously and still decline. Revival required strengthening those fundamentals rather than chasing short-term monetisation tactics. That experience shaped my leadership philosophy: fix the system before scaling execution. Sustainable growth follows operational discipline, not one-off feature launches.
What role will AI play in Indian game development?
AI will compress production cost and time while increasing the importance of product judgement. In India specifically, I see acceleration across multiple areas of game development, including personalisation across onboarding and gameplay. That aligns with Indiaâs strengths: large creator bases and rapid iteration culture. The competitive edge will come from combining AI-enabled creation with culturally grounded design.
How can Indian developers reduce dependency on global app stores?
By treating distribution as a portfolio rather than a single channel. That means building off-store community and identity loops, diversifying surfaces across web and cross-platform, and designing monetisation that isnât tied to one ecosystem. The strategic goal is to increase the share of growth coming from owned channels rather than paid acquisition alone.
What does sustainable growth look like in gaming?
Sustainable growth is repeat growth. You acquire users efficiently, retain them through meaningful progression and community, monetise with improving ARPPU, and reinvest in content without eroding player trust. India illustrates why this matters: massive scale is already present, and monetisation potential is now steadily improving. The next phase is converting that scale into durable global leadership.
How does competitive sport shape executive leadership?
Sport taught me that discipline is a key attribute and trained me to build teams and systems that hold up under pressure and to prioritise fundamentals before flair. At elite levels, pressure is constant and outcomes depend on preparation and repeatable execution. Live-service gaming operates similarly. Continuous operation with real-time feedback.
As Indiaâs gaming sector moves into its next phase, the focus appears to be shifting from rapid expansion to structural depth. Platform strategy, disciplined systems, diversified distribution, and culturally-informed design may define which studios translate scale into sustained global relevance. The inflection point, as described, is less about momentum and more about how that momentum is managed.
References:
1. https://www.ibef.org/blogs/india-s-thriving-gaming-market
2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawangaargi/
Founders and operators with experience across international markets suggest that the next phase of growth will be defined by execution. Monetisation models are evolving, user acquisition costs are rising, and platform strategy is once again becoming central to sustainable expansion.
Among those contributing to this evolving perspective is Pawan Gaargi, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of US-based gaming company Monumental. Gaargiâs experience spans competitive sports and large-scale live-service titles.
Industry expert Gaargi discusses Indiaâs gaming inflection point, evolving monetisation dynamics, platform diversification, and the potential revival of browser-based distribution alongside mobile.
Why is Indiaâs gaming industry at an inflection point?
India has reached a rare alignment of scale, talent, and structural tailwinds. It is already the worldâs largest mobile gaming market by downloads1, with billions of annual installs and hundreds of millions of active players. At the same time, the supply side has matured. Hundreds of gaming startups have emerged in the past five years, and the market focus is shifting decisively toward digital gaming and esports. That combination of demand scale and developer capability creates conditions for structural acceleration.
Why are monetisation trends finally improving?
A clear structural shift is underway in the types of games gaining momentum.Mid-core and core genres are expanding and are on track to overtake casual games. That reflects a maturing player base that is investing more time in deeper experiences and is increasingly willing to spend. In-app purchase revenue has been consistently rising and is now at par with advertising revenue. Over the next few years, I expect in-app purchases to account for the majority share of industry revenue due to the changes in player behaviour we are seeing.
Can culturally-relevant Indian games outcompete global studios domestically?
Yes, because local studios can build what Indian gamers want and global teams struggle to replicate cultural intuition across narrative and game mechanics. Itâs about understanding what resonates with players from play patterns, social dynamics, and aspiration loops. We have already seen culturally-rooted formats dominate in India, and that domination will continue with games that embrace modern game development and the cultural depth that is present.
Why is browser gaming relevant again in 2026?
Previously, browsers lacked the computational capabilities required to run graphically intensive or performance-heavy games, which meant those experiences were largely confined to consoles or native mobile applications. That limitation has fundamentally changed. Modern browsers now support technologies like WebGL, WASM, and WebGPU, enabling high-quality, performance-intensive games to run seamlessly on the web. Beyond performance, browsers also offer structural distribution advantages, such as instant access for players and faster iteration cycles for developers. Together, these shifts position the browser as an increasingly powerful platform for the next phase of game growth.
What did reviving Zynga Poker teach you about systems?
It reinforced that in live-service games, outcomes lag systems. If telemetry, onboarding, segmentation, and live-ops cadence weaken, you can ship features continuously and still decline. Revival required strengthening those fundamentals rather than chasing short-term monetisation tactics. That experience shaped my leadership philosophy: fix the system before scaling execution. Sustainable growth follows operational discipline, not one-off feature launches.
What role will AI play in Indian game development?
AI will compress production cost and time while increasing the importance of product judgement. In India specifically, I see acceleration across multiple areas of game development, including personalisation across onboarding and gameplay. That aligns with Indiaâs strengths: large creator bases and rapid iteration culture. The competitive edge will come from combining AI-enabled creation with culturally grounded design.
How can Indian developers reduce dependency on global app stores?
By treating distribution as a portfolio rather than a single channel. That means building off-store community and identity loops, diversifying surfaces across web and cross-platform, and designing monetisation that isnât tied to one ecosystem. The strategic goal is to increase the share of growth coming from owned channels rather than paid acquisition alone.
What does sustainable growth look like in gaming?
Sustainable growth is repeat growth. You acquire users efficiently, retain them through meaningful progression and community, monetise with improving ARPPU, and reinvest in content without eroding player trust. India illustrates why this matters: massive scale is already present, and monetisation potential is now steadily improving. The next phase is converting that scale into durable global leadership.
How does competitive sport shape executive leadership?
Sport taught me that discipline is a key attribute and trained me to build teams and systems that hold up under pressure and to prioritise fundamentals before flair. At elite levels, pressure is constant and outcomes depend on preparation and repeatable execution. Live-service gaming operates similarly. Continuous operation with real-time feedback.
As Indiaâs gaming sector moves into its next phase, the focus appears to be shifting from rapid expansion to structural depth. Platform strategy, disciplined systems, diversified distribution, and culturally-informed design may define which studios translate scale into sustained global relevance. The inflection point, as described, is less about momentum and more about how that momentum is managed.
References:
1. https://www.ibef.org/blogs/india-s-thriving-gaming-market
2. https://www.linkedin.com/in/pawangaargi/
(This article is generated and published by ET Spotlight team. You can get in touch with them on etspotlight@timesinternet.in)
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