New Delhi: In Financial Year (FY) 2023, gaming in India is predicted to increase by 20–30% and create 100,000 jobs, according to a report on the “next sunrise sector.”

50,000 individuals work in the sector, 30% of them are programmers and developers. From Rs 7,037 crore in FY 2019 to Rs 14,300 crore in FY 2022, it has increased in value. According to TeamLease Digital’s ‘Gaming- Tomorrow’s Blockbuster’ research, the industry is expected to be valued Rs 38,097 crore in FY 2026 and multiply five times over the next seven years.

“Gaming industry is the next sunrise sector due to its increasing user base and the opportunities that this industry is set to offer. It offers jobs across sectors, and that makes it more in-demand. Despite facing hurdles owing to frequent regulatory changes, the gaming industry is expected to create 100,000 jobs by FY23,” said Sunil Chemmankotil, chief executive officer of Teamlease Digital, a human resources and advisory company.

In FY 2023, it is anticipated that the industry will bring in Rs 780 crore in FDI. According to Munira Loliwala, TeamLease Digital’s business leader for specialist employment, the market would expand 20–30% in FY 2023 and reach a value of Rs 38,097 crore by FY 2026.

“With a 480 million strong gaming community, India is second largest globally, after China. To address this growth, employment in the sector is going to significantly increase. Today, we have a 90% millennials and Gen-Z workforce and the majority of these professionals are aspiring to work in emerging sectors like gaming,” she said.

The survey predicts that throughout the upcoming year, the industry will grow by adding new positions in programming (game developers, unity developers), testing (games test engineering, QA lead), animation, design, artist (VFX and idea), and other positions (content writers, gaming journalists, web analyst).

“With the confluence of Web3 and Metaverse, gamification is not just restricted to traditional gaming avenues but has extended to other emerging tech sectors like E-commerce, FinTech and Education etc. Over the next few years, aided by the sturdy growth in the sector, we will see a catapult impact on employment as well,” Loliwala said.

According to the survey, women currently make up more than 40% of the workforce and hold leadership positions in the business.

Game producers earn Rs. 10 lakh per year, followed by game designers at Rs. 6.5 LPA, software engineers at Rs. 5.5 LPA, game developers at Rs. 5.25 LPA, and QA testers at Rs. 5.25 LPA (Rs 5.11 LPA).