At the recent India Game Developers Conference, representatives from various investment firms discussed the trends and opportunities in the Indian gaming market.
The key takeaway is that the best way to succeed in India is to operate directly within the country.
Deepen Parikh, a partner at Courtside Ventures, emphasized during the discussion that investors do not need an in-depth understanding of the Indian gaming market to start investing.
He shared his experience collaborating with prominent Indian game publisher Winzo, noting that even during the peak of the pandemic in 2020, through multiple video calls and cooperation with local accounting and law firms in India, Courtside quickly reached an agreement and achieved positive results.
Parikh further pointed out that the diversity of the Indian market underscores the importance of "nothing can substitute for operating on the ground in India."
He mentioned, "India is like a combination of multiple countries, and if you don't frequently visit here and understand the differences between cities like Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai, you might miss many significant opportunities."
Phylicia Koh, a partner at Play Ventures, expressed similar views. She believes that the Indian market offers two major types of opportunities for the video game industry: one is games developed for the global market, and the other is games specifically developed for the Indian market.
She emphasized that the large young population in India, especially those under 30, presents enormous opportunities for game developers. Additionally, Koh noted that understanding the cultural differences in consumer habits and payment methods in India is key to success in the market.
