KOLKATA: Octro Inc has reported that its game TeenPatti witnessed 800 per cent growth in paying users in 2020. The virtual card game has held on to its leadership position since its debut. Octro has been creating Made in India leisure options for the world at large, thereby gaining a strong foothold within the Indian gaming industry with a projected user base of more than 700 million gamers in India by 2022.
First released in 2013, the game played with virtual money is enjoyed by a group of three to six people who use a 52-card pack without jokers. The game also comes in variations like 6 Patti, TeenPatti Battle, 3-2-1, Private Table, etc. Private table feature on Octro TeenPatti was most loved in the past few months as it allowed players to connect with their family and friends in leisure hours while dealing with constraints posed by social distancing in Covid times.
The growing popularity of online games has given a whole new boost to the gaming ecosystem, leading to the sector purported to be worth more than $1 billion today, according to a Google-KMPG report.
Octro Inc CEO Saurabh Aggarwal said, “At the intersection of sports and entertainment, Octro, with games like TeenPatti, has created a scalable leisure option for Indians and has taken casual gaming to the next level. We deeply appreciate this love showered on our games and are thankful to these players. This motivates us to aim higher and we at Octro are committed to create more such leisure options that have potential to be loved not only in India but globally.”
Aggarwal further added, ‘In 2021, we do hope that the Indian government creates a favourable regulatory regime for foreign investment to come into India both for online gaming and real money gaming. This will result in significant employment opportunities, Made in India games and tax contribution to exchequer.”
Real money games and skill based gaming are emerging frontiers in India for not only social connect and scalable leisure options but also for the potential to create shareholders in a value chain that comprises a new set of gamers, immersive metaverse, gaming tournaments with prize money and hence, viable career option.
Globally, the e-sports and video gaming market have already outpaced their contemporaries in the film and music businesses with what is expected to be a $300 billion annual industry by 2025 according to industry sources. India with nearly 400+ e-gaming start-ups is a very important market and one that has great potential for growth and development.
