Mumbai: With third-generation (3G) mobile
services expected to be launched soon, India's gaming industry
is poised for a four-fold growth over the next two-years, a
leading industry player said.
The gaming market, currently pegged at USD 100 million,
is likely to vault to USD 400 million in the next two years,
the official said.
"India's gaming industry is likely to touch USD 400
million by 2012. With third-generation (3G) mobile services
expected to be launched soon, gaming companies are gearing
themselves up for the big opportunity," GameShastra's Chief
Executive Officer Prakash Ahuja, told a news agency here.
GameShastra, a leading game services provider, operates a
state-of-the-art game development studio in Hyderabad and is
creating games across all major platforms.
The company which has a portfolio of over 200 games
across consoles and hand-held devices, is eyeing an USD 15
million revenue from mobile games within two-years of 3G's
launch.
Another leading player, Nazara Technologies, too
expects to ride the wave and is eyeing a revenue of Rs 100
crore within two-years of 3G launch.
"The Indian gaming industry is estimated to grow at a
Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 50-70 per cent to
reach USD 400 million by 2012. The 3G launch in the country
opens the door to innovative value-added services which will
bring everything to just one convergent device," Nazara
Technologies' Chief Executive Officer Nitish Mittersain,
said.
Nazara is working on at least ten new games to tap the
gaming market which would be provided to people after the
launch of 3G, he said.
"Games-on-demand, real-time gaming and karaoke-on-demand
could emerge as the most sought-after value added services.
The future trends lie in advertising and promotion of films as
well as products through mobile gaming," Mittersain said,
adding localisation of content and new payment mechanisms will
change gaming trends.
India will throw open the auction of airwaves for
offering 3G mobile services to state-run, private and foreign
operators in the current fiscal, Telecom Minister A Raja, has
said.
State-run BSNL and MTNL currently offer 3G services in
select pockets of the country like Mumbai, Delhi and the
National Capital Region (NCR).
India expects to generate revenues worth Rs 25,000 crore
from the auction of 3G spectrum as various foreign players aim
to have a share of the pie in India's fast-growing wireless
market.
Bureau Report
First Published: Sunday, November 08, 2009, 12:42