Niko Partners: India’s games market tops $1.04B in 2025

India’s gaming market generated $1.04 billion in revenue in 2025, up 14.8% year-on-year and passing the $1 billion mark for the first time, according to Niko Partners data published August 10, 2026.

Niko Partners forecasts revenue will grow to nearly $1.2 billion in 2026 and reach $1.77 billion by 2030, implying a five-year CAGR of 11.2%. The firm said India is the fastest-growing video game market among those it tracks.

Player scale remains the headline driver. Niko Partners estimates India recorded 511 million players in 2025, with the base expected to cross 550 million in 2026 and exceed 700 million by 2030. Monetization is still early-stage: ARPU was $2.04 in 2025 and is forecast to rise to $2.52 by 2030. Niko attributes recent growth primarily to mobile game spending, alongside digital adoption and rising disposable incomes among some segments.

Niko also points to broader shifts in player behavior. It reports growing engagement with genres beyond battle royale and casual games, increasing interest in legacy PC titles, and rising participation in esports. UGC platforms including Roblox and Minecraft are expanding among younger audiences, and “Even roleplay within Grand Theft Auto has become popular on livestreaming platforms.”

The report flags several market indicators: female participation is projected to rise from 43% of players in 2023 to 49% in 2026; non-battle royale titles increased their share of mobile game revenue from 53.2% in June 2023 to 62.8% in June 2026; 31.5% of players prefer buying in-game content outside traditional app stores; and UPI dominates payments, with 84.6% of Indian players having used a UPI-based payment method versus 31.5% using credit cards. Niko also said Indian players are becoming more cautious about generative AI use by developers and players, citing economic concerns and growing discussion of AI’s impact on employment.