Under the draft rules, for which the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has invited stakeholder comments until October 31, eSports will be regulated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. This is aimed at giving eSports formal recognition as a government-identified sport, thereby lending credibility to players and sports associations, a senior government official said.
“What happens now is that once the stakeholder inputs are received, eSports can start its journey towards being a formally recognised sport, which then attracts the sponsors, advertisers, and professional gamers,” the official said.
It will, however, take a lot more than formal recognition from the government or sponsors to take eSports to the grassroots, according to experts and industry players.
“eSports cannot be metro-centric if it is to achieve mainstream status. We already have a generation of players who have proven themselves internationally, and our grassroots scene, from campus tournaments to local LANs, is strong,” said Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director at NODWIN Gaming.
But, what is missing are eSports-ready venues in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, better internet and device access, and structured development pathways, Rathee said.
Ananay Jain, a partner at Grant Thornton Bharat, said the online gaming authority would also need to clarify some provisions, especially those related to the financial aspects.
“What the government does not want is cash-in and cash-out or wagering on the outcome of the game. There is some ambiguity on whether a game, such as poker, is an RMG (real-money game) or an eSport, as several countries across the globe classify and recognise it as that,” Jain said.
Gaming industry executives are hopeful that the government will provide incentive and support for a sector that will take the first formal steps in a few months.
“While there are no insurmountable challenges, government assistance would greatly reduce the cost and complexity of executing large-scale events, including logistics and operations,” said Animesh Agarwal, co-founder and chief executive officer of S8UL Esports.
Agarwal said law and order support would ensure smooth execution wherever gaming events are held. “Venue availability remains a key constraint since smaller organisations often cannot host big events due to high costs,” he said.
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