IESF, SOGF bet big in India, proposes to establish self-regulatory esports body

In a significant move to boost esports in India, the International Esports Federation (IESF) and the Skillhub Online Games Federation (SOGF) met with Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS), to discuss a regulatory policy framework for esports and gaming in the country. Both organizations expressed their willingness to cooperate in establishing a self-regulatory body for the esports and gaming industry.

The IESF, which includes 146 member countries, including India in collaboration with SOGF will host the International Esports Masters in India, scheduled for March 2025.

Boban Totovski, General Secretary of the IESF elaborated on the federation's role in growing the esports industry in India, stating, “India is a huge market for esports and gaming. We believe there is significant potential in India. It’s not yet comparable to markets like the United States, China, or Western Europe, but it has the potential to become one.”

He added, “I believe that by gradually demonstrating the country’s capacity, as well as the strength of its gaming and esports community, publishers will start exploring opportunities to establish a presence in India, such as opening offices or making their games available in the country. It’s important to recognize that it’s not just the publishers’ responsibility; discussions with the government are also essential.”

Regarding the upcoming esports event in India, Totovski noted, “The event will feature clubs from all over the world competing. This event will not only showcase India’s ability to host such esports events but will also send a message to the Indian youth that they have not been overlooked and will have the opportunity to compete internationally on a grand stage.”

Shankar Aggarwal, President of the SOG Federation, commented on the uncertain regulatory framework surrounding the esports and gaming industry, stating, “It’s crucial for the government of India to create a comprehensive policy framework. Without a clear policy, it will be challenging for stakeholders to grow the ecosystem. In the absence of a well-defined regulatory regime, it will be difficult for them to make significant investments.”

Discussing the representation letter submitted to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Aggarwal said, “In our letter, we requested collaboration with the government to create a policy framework. We proposed that we be recognized as a self-regulatory body for the industry and expressed our willingness to work with the central government to establish a policy regime.”

Aggarwal said, “We have also asked both central and state governments to support the organization of world championships. Without the backing of both levels of government, it will be difficult. Additionally, we have requested sponsorship opportunities from state governments to help create an international esports structure.”

The IESF will host the World Esports Championship in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in November this year. Last year’s 15th edition of the event featured 601 athletes from 111 countries competing across six game titles in Iași, Romania. The event, streamed online, broke the previous live viewership record, with over 700,000 people tuning in to watch the grand final.

According to a report by AWS and Lumikai, India’s esports sector is projected to grow from $40 million in 2022 to $140 million by 2027, with a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 32 percent. The report also found that the number of esports players in India grew from 150,000 in 2021 to 600,000 in 2022, and is expected to reach 1.5 million by 2027.