India's gaming and esports scene reaches a turning point in 2025, as policy support, global titles, big tournaments, and new brands together move the sector into the national spotlight. Esports gains government recognition, Indian organisations win major awards, and players secure world championships, making 2025 a breakthrough year for India's esports industry.
The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA) 2025 gives long-awaited legal clarity, while cash incentives for esports medal winners place competitive gaming closer to recognised sports. India's global credentials grow as Ved Bamb becomes the country's first esports world champion by winning the Pokemon GO title, underlining India's presence on the international stage.
Policy
moves are matched by participation on the ground. Esports features for the first time at the Khelo India Youth Games, signalling formal inclusion in youth sport structures. States such as Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan host official tournaments, while the return of Free Fire MAX esports further boosts engagement among young players and fans.
These developments run alongside better access to gaming hardware and a visible surge in local game development. Popular streamers shape viewing habits, and celebrity crossovers expose gaming to new audiences. Collectively, these factors help shift esports and gaming into the mainstream conversation in India, not just as entertainment, but also as careers and creative work.
NODWIN Gaming experiences a defining year during 2025, both in India and overseas. The company acquires esports broadcaster StarLadder and takes a majority stake in Evo, the long-running fighting game tournament. In India, NODWIN Gaming stages large events such as the Snapdragon Pro Series Season 6 and Valorant Challengers South Asia, each carrying an INR 1 crore prize pool.
The Battlegrounds Mobile India Masters Series returns to television with a wider format. The new edition includes all-women teams, introduces a Gujarati broadcast for the first time, and attracts fresh sponsors, including Tesla. NODWIN Gaming also broadens its youth entertainment portfolio by taking NH7 Weekender to Jaipur, Indore, and Noida, extending its festival reach beyond previous years.
| Key 2025 milestones | Details |
|---|---|
| Legislation | PROGA 2025 passed, recognising and regulating online gaming and esports |
| World title | Ved Bamb wins India's first esports world championship in Pokemon GO |
| Flagship events | SPS Season 6, VCSA, BGMS with INR 1 crore prize pools and TV return |
| Global organisations | S8UL wins "Esports Content Group of the Year"; Animesh Agarwal wins "Esports Personality of the Year" |
NODWIN Gaming's strategic expansion and India esports ecosystem
NODWIN Gaming deepens its international tournament operations through standardised LAN frameworks. These setups roll out across Battlegrounds Mobile India Masters Series, NODWIN Africa Pro League, and PUBG Mobile African Championship events in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, and are also used in PMSL MENA tournaments in the Middle East, strengthening production consistency across regions.
The company's reach extends into Europe via the StarLadder Budapest Major, adding another high-profile competition to its calendar. On the festival front, DreamHack 2025 records strong attendance, while both NH7 Weekender and Comic Con India expand into more cities. This combination blends esports, music, and pop culture into larger youth-focused properties across India and abroad.
Akshat Rathee, Co-founder and Managing Director, NODWIN Gaming, said, "2025 has been the year India truly legitimized gaming and esports as a sport, a career, and a creative industry. For the first time, esports is being treated at par with traditional sports, supported by clear frameworks for athlete recognition, structured leagues, and policy backing.
"For NODWIN Gaming, we standardised our LAN setups across major IPs such as the BGMS, the NODWIN Africa Pro League, and the PUBG Mobile African Championship across Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa, as well as the PMSL MENA tournaments in the Middle East. Our frameworks now extend into Europe too, where we host the StarLadder Budapest Major. Beyond tournaments, our IPs like DreamHack 2025 saw strong footfalls, while NH7 and Comic Con India expanded to more cities than ever before, creating nationwide festivals of music, gaming, and youth culture. "
S8UL's global recognition and talent programmes in India esports
S8UL becomes one of the clearest examples of India's rising status in global esports during 2025. The organisation is chosen as a Club Partner for the Esports World Cup 2025, signalling confidence from international stakeholders. S8UL also secures the "Esports Content Group of the Year" award at the Esports Awards 2025 for the fourth successive year.
Co-founder Animesh Agarwal adds to this record by becoming the first Indian to earn the "Esports Personality of the Year" title. Domestically, S8UL runs India's first FGC Talent Hunt Program, regarded as a significant development for the local fighting game community. iQOO SOUL, its BGMI division, partners with Monster Energy and wins the Chennai Esports Global Championship 2025.
S8UL also broadens its presence beyond traditional esports titles. The organisation signs chess grandmasters Nihal Sarin and Aravindh Chithambaram, marking its entry into chess. It additionally represents India at the Pokemon UNITE World Championship 2025, underlining a strategy that spans multiple game genres and competitive ecosystems.
"India has always had the talent and ambition to lead in esports and gaming, and this year genuinely felt like the industry entered the mainstream. The government has formally acknowledged esports, brands are investing with long-term vision, and new tournaments are building excitement at the grassroots level.
"For S8UL, 2025 has been about growth, validation, and connection. Being selected as a Club Partner for the Esports World Cup and winning at the Esports Awards for the fourth consecutive year was a proud moment that showed that Indian teams and creators can compete globally, while our on-ground events proved how strong the fan culture is at home," commented Animesh Agarwal, Co-founder and CEO, S8UL.
PC gaming surge and ecosystem change in India esports
While mobile titles continue to dominate viewership, 2025 also sees PC gaming gain fresh momentum in India. CyberPowerPC India plays a visible role in this shift. The company launches an Esports Masterclass series aimed at guiding both gamers and parents, and introduces India's first "Play Guarantee", giving a 30-day satisfaction promise on Play Ready systems.
CyberPowerPC India supports physical access through partnerships and activations. It powers Orangutan Esports' ApeCity arena, opens its first experience zone at Vishal Peripherals in Hyderabad, and offers a custom-built PC worth more than INR 2.5 lakhs at Bengaluru Comic Con. These steps try to reduce barriers for players who want to move into PC gaming.
Vishal Parekh, Chief Operating Officer, CyberPowerPC India, noted, "2025 felt like a turning point for esports in India, especially with the arrival of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act. That single step brought a lot of reassurance, to parents, to schools, to brands, and most importantly to young players who finally felt that what they were building had real legitimacy. For PC Gaming, there's also a clear change in how conversations around buying a PC are happening, gamers are talking openly about real-world performance, especially FPS, and not just ticking off a run of the mill list of components anymore. "
Across these developments, India shifts from being viewed mainly as an emerging market to an active contributor to the global gaming economy. With regulatory backing, rising domestic tournaments, international titles, and growing investments, many industry stakeholders expect the next decade to bring sustained growth, building on the momentum created during 2025.
