Following the news that Bengaluru-based esports startup Mobile Premier League (MPL) has become India’s second gaming unicorn after Mumbai-based fantasy sports platform Dream11 at a pre-money valuation of US$2.3bn;  

Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“India is currently one of the key markets for game downloads globally. GlobalData forecast’s India’s mobile gaming market to grow at a CAGR of 15.3% between 2020 and 2030.

“India’s decision to ban Chinese mobile apps, including some of the popular games such as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), is favoring the growth of domestic gaming startups and pouring in investments in gaming companies is a testimony to the growing potential of India’s gaming industry.

“Gaming companies such as MPL are reaping the benefit of being in the right place at the right time. While several industries suffered setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic, gaming sector emerged as a key beneficiary. With the COVID-19 pandemic induced restrictions forcing people to stay indoors, it led to a surge in demand for gaming and promising startups in the sector continue to be on investors’ radar.”