Dentsu–IWMBuzz India Gaming Report 2026
The report presents an important shift in the industry's evolution: India has established a large gaming audience, but the next phase will depend on deeper engagement, sustainable business models, original intellectual property (IP) and the ability to build on success consistently.
Key findings from the report:
1. India has a gaming audience of 535 million
According to dentsu’s estimates, India’s Pure Play Gaming audience among people aged 15 and above stands at:
· 535 million people who played in the past 12 months.
· 332 million people who played in the past three months.
· 265 million people who played in the past 30 days.
· 167 million people who played in the past seven days.
The report distinguishes between annual reach and more recent participation, indicating that gaming is an established behaviour for a substantial audience rather than just a large cumulative user base.
2. India’s Pure Play Gaming market is valued at ₹14,344 Crore
Dentsu estimates the 2026 market at ₹14,344 crore (approximately US$1.624 billion), comprising three sources of economic value:
· ₹8,705 crore (60.7%) from gaming advertising.
· ₹5,239 crore (36.5%) from consumer-paid gaming.
· ₹401 crore (2.8%) from esports and other eligible gaming revenues.
This highlights the importance of advertising alongside direct consumer spending, while esports and other eligible gaming revenues account for a smaller share of the estimated market.
Note: The report focuses on Pure Play Gaming and excludes real-money gaming, betting and gambling.
3. 109 Million Current Gamers are paying gamers
An estimated 109 million people aged 15 and above who played Pure Play games in the past three months also made a qualifying gaming payment during that period.
The report notes that payment is one measure of engagement, but not the only one. Playing frequently, spending on games and participating in gaming communities are distinct behaviours.
4. 96.7% of Surveyed Gamers participate beyond playing
In dentsu’s primary survey of 826 gamers who had played in the preceding three months, 96.7% reported at least one activity beyond playing.
These activities include reviewing, creating content around games, organising, competing, testing and providing feedback. Nearly half of surveyed gamers were also found to be very or extremely willing to test games or provide feedback.
This points to an opportunity for gaming companies and brands to engage audiences through communities, creators, competitions and experiences around games, rather than focusing exclusively on gameplay.
5. PC, Console and Handheld Gamers show greater spending depth
Among surveyed current payers, respondents whose most recent play was on PC, console or handheld devices reported spending roughly twice as much over the preceding three months as those whose most recent play was on mobile.
The report also identifies different reasons for non-payment:
· Around 64% of surveyed non-payers whose main barriers were value, affordability or the sufficiency of free play said they would consider paying under the right conditions.
· The comparable figure was around 39% among those whose non-payment was more closely linked to lower interest or spending priority.
These findings suggest that monetisation opportunities differ by device context, affordability and player motivation.
6. India-made Games have a positive quality signal, but IP ownership remains an opportunity
Among surveyed gamers with validated experience of India-made titles, 70% rated the overall experience as Good or Very Good. This finding is based on a specific survey group of 335 respondents, rather than all Indian gamers.
The report recognises that Indian studios have developed credible game-building and live-operations capabilities. However, it identifies opportunities to strengthen original IP, publishing and product-growth capabilities, senior talent and the ability to build successful products repeatedly.
The broader strategic question is how India can retain more of the creative and commercial value generated by its game-development capabilities.
7. The Gaming Ecosystem has progressed, but its maturity remains uneven
The dentsu Gaming Industry Readiness Barometer assesses seven pillars across five stages of readiness.
The 2026 Assessment Places:
· Four pillars at Developing: Product and Studio Capability; Commercial Sustainability; Public and Institutional Enablement; and Player Demand and Market Maturity.
· Three pillars at Building: IP and Creative Distinctiveness; Trust and Responsible Growth; and Global Readiness.
No pillar has yet reached the Established or Advanced stage. The report’s assessment is that meaningful capabilities exist, but their breadth, consistency and ability to deliver repeatable outcomes remain uneven across the ecosystem.
8. Global Success needs to translate into repeatable, owned-product success
The report identifies international distribution, multi-market operations and participation in global production as existing strengths. Its next ambition for India is to turn these capabilities into sustained international relevance for Indian-created products and IP.
The focus is on moving beyond individual successes to develop stronger studio systems, retain product learning, build distinctive intellectual property and create businesses that can reinvest and build again.
