[dropcap]F[/dropcap]ocusing back on the Indian market of mobile gaming that has gained huge popularity in recent years, Reliance Entertainment is planning to invest in 20 gaming startups this year.
Reliance Games, which is a part of Reliance Entertainment, has also announced investments of over $50,000 in marketing and technology to support some Indian startups as part of its ‘PG Connects’ event.
Amit Khanduja , CEO of Reliance Entertainment Digital, told media, “The next 18-24 months present a massive opportunity as India is set to become the second biggest Smartphone market in the world. The market is at a inflection point and it is a green-field opportunity for game developers as domestic mobile game market grows significantly.”
He stated how the in the last few years the number of gaming startups have raised from 40 to over 250. “So, although India is still an emerging game development hub – the talent and startup ecosystem is growing exponentially and in the next 3-4 years, we are hoping to see the industry grow to accommodate up to 50,000 professionals working in this space. The Indian market is ripe for investments but it needs more than financial investments.”
According to a FICCI-KPMG report, Indian gaming industry has grown from Rs 1,000 core in 2010 to Rs 2,650 crore in 2015. This is projected to grow to Rs 3,080 crore by 2016-end and further to Rs 5,070 crore by the end of December 2020.
Though there is yet to be any defined investment fund, Khanduja added that it plans to “publish with 20 Indie startups this year”.
“We are keener on strategic partnerships with startups than a particular quantum of financial investment where we can help the partner take their game to the next level for a launch. These partnerships include significant dollar investments in technology, marketing, analytics and people resources from Reliance Games,” he said.
The news was broken in an event where Reliance Games announced the partnership with Indian Premier League’s cricket team, Gujarat Lions, becoming the official gaming partner of the Rajkot-based team.
The games will allow players to customize their team, engage with their favorite T20 stars – Suresh Raina, Brendon McCullum, Aaron Finch and other cricketers in the Gujarat team by playing with their favorite superstars in the game.
“Currently, indie-developers need significant hand holding in design, monetization, marketing and technology, we see strategic tie ups as the road to success than pure-play fund investments,” he added. The activity will see a big pick up, once these talented startups grow in terms of player engagement and monetization, he added.
