Jaipur, January , 2022.

Rajasthan in 2021 witnessed a massive boom in the number of mobile gamers, led by a robust growth in cities such as Sri Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jaipur, Alwar, Jodhpur and Ajmer, according to the India Mobile Gaming Report 2021 (IMGR) released by Mobile Premier League (MPL), an esports and skill gaming platform.

Jaipur has also emerged as the second biggest Indian city in 2021 in terms of number of gamers, according to the MPL report. Jaipur joins cities such as Pune, Lucknow and Patna, which saw a huge number of players taking to mobile games in 2021, toppling big cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. The pink city has also secured the top position in the country in terms of the number of games played.

Sri Ganganagar witnessed a 52% rise in the number of mobile gamers. Other cities like Hanumangarh, Ajmer, Alwar, Jodhpur and Jaipur have also witnessed impressive growth compared to 2021.

Carrom, Fruit Dart, Fruit Chop, Cricket Clash, Runner No.1 were some of the top games that were popular among gamers in Rajasthan, as per IMGR 2021. 

At the national level, mobile esports like Chess and Pool witnessed a sharp rise in the number of gamers; the MPL platform alone registered 1.3 million esports players in 2021. While nearly half a million games were played on the platform, it recorded 17 million live viewership.

Numerous research reports suggest that increased availability of affordable smartphones coupled with high-speed internet has prompted many people to take up gaming across small cities and towns. In fact, mobile-based platforms for gaming have made it easier for many to access skill-based games and tournaments.

Consultancy firm EY mentioned in a recent report that the Indian domestic market for online gaming is estimated to grow from $906 million in 2019 to more than $2 billion in 2023 representing a CAGR of nearly 22%. This means the Indian market is expected to scale faster and become a meaningful contributor globally.

The EY report further elaborated that online gamers in India are estimated to grow from 360 million in 2020 to 510 million in 2022. Of these, an estimated 85% are mobile gamers.