Localisation key for esports growth: Primecraft Games CEO Rakesh Eligapalli
India’s online gaming industry has emerged as a global powerhouse, with over 500 million active users in 2025 — making it the second-largest market in the world. Revenues are expected to more than double, from $3.7 billion in 2024 to over $9 billion by 2029. This growth is driven by affordable smartphones, low data costs, and widespread use of UPI-enabled payments, helping gaming reach non-metro audiences and regional language players.
From casual and real-money gaming to esports — with BGMI, Free Fire, and Valorant among the top titles — both engagement and monetisation continue to rise. However, the sector still faces regulatory complexity. While Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has introduced federal guidelines through amended IT Rules, differing state laws create a fragmented landscape. Industry bodies like the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) are working to promote responsible gaming and self-regulation.
Against this backdrop, SiGMA World engages with Rakesh Eligapalli, CEO and Co-Founder of Primecraft Games, a renowned company based in India’s Hyderabad that has spent years perfecting 바카라 games and is now ambitiously exploring new gaming realms. He shared honest views on the state of esports, the need for local content, the role of digital payments, and how regulatory clarity and emerging technologies could help the gaming industry in India grow in a fair and safe way.
SiGMA World: What factors are driving the rapid growth of esports betting in India?
Rakesh Eligapalli, CEO and Co-Founder of PrimeCraft Games: I’ll counter that question. I still feel it’s not rapid growth for esports. I think there is growth, but the rapid part totally depends on how the end user embraces it. I feel there’s a huge gap between players and competition organisers. They’ve hit a spot where they’re not really experimenting beyond the threshold. Unlike the Southeast Asian esports organisations, which are much more progressive, I feel there’s a huge gap that has to be filled.
Need for local content in esports
SiGMA World: Do you think esports will gain more mainstream recognition and investment in the coming years?
Rakesh Eligapalli: Eventually. I guess it totally depends on the content. India is very localised; it depends on a localised flavour. I agree there’s a selective set of people who play Dota, Free Fire, Valorant, Call of Duty, and so on, but that’s a small niche market. If you want to reach the masses, you need local content or content that feels localised. That’s when you can actually embrace more players onto the platform and create more room for growth as well. Let’s be honest — Gen Z is the main driver right now. But, I think we need to look back at millennials and older generations. They’ve all played games; it’s just about finding that connection point.
SiGMA World: In terms of localisation, what should providers or operators do to retain players?
Rakesh Eligapalli: I’ll quote one example — a game called Smite. You might have heard about it. What they’ve done is, it’s like all the gods fight against each other, something similar to what Wukong was. So all the Greek gods were there, then they even brought in Indian gods like Shiva and Ganesha. People started connecting a little bit, but it was still on an international platform. If you want mass participation, you’ve got to bring in the local flavour — that includes the language. You should not have a stereotype of a character or the game concept itself, because the Smite developers weren’t really confident in what they were promoting. So I guess collaboration with a local company would make absolute sense.
SiGMA World: How can localised promotions and incentives be optimised for Indian players?
Rakesh: Very tricky question. Let me put on my marketing cap. The beauty of the Indian mindset is that it’s all in the small things. They don’t really look for the big picture. I have an idea I have been trying to implement in our own product, which I can’t really divulge much about, but I’ll give you a hint. There’s huge potential if you tap into day-to-day common items. Incentivise those. Don’t make gaming something too exclusive. Bring it into the common mainstream. The common man has many things that are shared across various domains. Bring gaming into that, and trust me — it makes absolute sense.
I’ll give you an example. We worked on a product for a marketing company where they wanted to promote gamification for customer retention. These customers weren’t gamers — they were supermarket consumers — and those products actually sold very well. I think something along those lines would actually work very well in India too.
SiGMA World: What role do fantasy sports platforms play in bridging the gap between traditional sports betting and esports betting?
Rakesh: Fantasy sports and esports don’t have a direct correlation. Esports is more skill-based and driven by the professional gaming community, whereas fantasy is more about soft betting and getting out there. It looks like a bridge between the two — more like a hybrid — but I would say it leans more towards sports betting than esports altogether. Esports is a completely different beast.
SiGMA World: What are the risks associated with the rising esports sector in India?
Rakesh: Hardware is one. Many people don’t have access to hardware, and all these games we’re talking about are hardware-hungry. I guess one of the best options would be to reduce the import duty on certain electronic components — at least computer components. That would actually help more and more custom rigs to be created in India, and I think that’s the starting point. Everything else will automatically fall into place. Unless cloud gaming becomes a potential alternative. I think Jio is already working on it. They tried, but it’s still expensive.
SiGMA World: What steps are being taken to prevent underage betting in India’s growing esports market?
Rakesh: None. None. Sorry, that’s the answer. Because I don’t think it can be contained. I know a lot of underage people who still play most of these games. No matter how much you try, India is one beast that cannot be tamed. I would put it that way. I mean, it’s an amazing country — no doubt about that. Amazing culture. But when it comes to rules and regulations, we are far behind compared to our Western counterparts. We really don’t follow them.
SiGMA World: How do you think South Asian athletes will perform at the Esports Olympics in 2027?
Rakesh: Olympics and India don’t go well as a mix. We’ve seen that even in the Commonwealth, right? It’s a beautiful tournament that’s been held for ages, but I guess India is still vexed with cricket. We’ve got to look beyond cricket. The biggest step we need to take is to start promoting other games. We need investors and funds coming into other sectors of the gaming and sports industries. I’m not saying dilute what’s there in cricket, but try to create an alternate avenue for other sports. That will help keep the momentum going and also create an avenue for the upcoming Olympics.
SiGMA World: What challenges do operators face due to legal uncertainties in India’s iGaming sector?
Rakesh: iGaming is like, you know, Kubla Khan’s castle in thin air. I think it’s like a glass castle. There’s never a definitive foundation you can really bank on or build your business upon. You can, to a certain extent, but you don’t know when it’ll shatter and fall. I guess the regulatory body has to be decisive and in place first — and then everything else will fall into order. The ball is right now in the government’s court. Somebody has to make a decision. Until then, this is going to be an inevitable, hypothetical discussion for the next few years. We’ll talk in conferences, we’ll talk everywhere else — it will always remain an unanswered question.
SiGMA World: How are international betting operators entering the Indian market?
Rakesh: There is significant interest. India is a huge market according to them — and that’s true. It’s definitely the population that accounts for it. There’s a lot of money in the market, and people want to tap into that resource. But they aren’t able to do that effectively because of two main reasons: localisation, for one, and second, they want to play it safe due to regulatory reasons. I guess once these two are taken care of, it’s a booming market.
Payments, promotions, and player retention
SiGMA World: How has the rise of digital payment systems, especially UPI, contributed to the expansion of gaming?
Rakesh: UPI is disruptive — amazingly disruptive — whether in India or anywhere else. Recently, they opened it up in Paris as well, and that’s amazing. We tried the same thing in Sri Lanka when we came here, but it’s not that seamless because of the currency conversions. But I guess if those bottlenecks are handled, UPI is one of the best — the go-to payment system I can think of. I don’t think Visa and MasterCard are going to compete with it because there’s no direct correlation. UPI makes it absolutely seamless. It’s one of the most amazing innovations of the 21st century.
SiGMA World: Who are your players, and what is your target market in India?
Rakesh: In India, we don’t have any direct market as such. Obviously, we create content for Europe, the UK, and the US. I think it’s easier that way. If we do launch a product here, it’s definitely going to target… I mean, we really can’t demarcate it and say it’s going to be an 18-plus game alone. It’s very difficult to contain that. It’s the same with responsible gaming practices in such an environment.
However, the payment system that is currently in place does provide a kind of soft regulation — participation based on age. I guess that’s already in place, but it’s not something I would really bank on in the long run. The idea of self-regulation is a whimsical idea. Unless you are incentivising it or it comes from a government authority — unless there’s something forced — absolutely, Indians are not going to get paid.
SiGMA World: How does mobile gaming impact player engagement and retention in India?
Rakesh: Very high. I think around 78% of players are mobile users. I would say mobile gaming is predominantly the main driving factor in India right now. PC, console, and the rest are very marginal. And going forward, yes — mobile is still going to be the frontrunner.
SiGMA World: How effective are influencer partnerships and esports tournaments in India?
Rakesh: Very effective. Indians spend most of their time on Instagram. They have a strong fascination for short-form content. Initially, I thought it appealed to only a selective audience, but I later realised it cuts across Tier 1, 2, 3, and even Tier 4 cities and towns. People everywhere are deeply engaged with social media. So, it makes absolute sense to work with influencers — they have one of the biggest career opportunities going forward.
SiGMA World: How does PrimeCraft Games balance catering to the Indian market while also appealing to a global audience?
Rakesh: We avoid as many local clients as possible because they tend to be difficult paymasters. The UK and US are much easier to work with. That said, the Indian companies we do serve are quite challenging. But there’s always something to learn from every experience. I come from a UX background, so user experience is my core philosophy. Each local project is an amazing journey, helping me understand the psyche of the consumer and the player. And despite the delayed payments, it’s worth it — every bit of it.
Embracing AI, exploring blockchain
SiGMA World: How is PrimeCraft Games using emerging technologies like AI and blockchain to enhance the gaming experience?
Rakesh: We haven’t really ventured into blockchain yet. But with AI, yes — we’ve already started working on our own language models, mainly focusing on automation. Going forward, we plan to integrate these technologies into our production as well.
SiGMA World: Finally, how do you see the future growth of the online gaming industry in India?
Rakesh: In India, until it is regulated, it will always remain under the carpet. Yes, there will be conferences, good talks, and interviews. But if we really want to see a solid, steady approach, regulation needs to be in place as soon as possible.
Be part of the action at SiGMA South Asia, 30 Nov – 02 Dec 2025. Colombo becomes the heart of gaming as 5,000 delegates, 150+ speakers, and 1,000 operators gather under one roof. With high-value traffic, game-changing insights, and unforgettable networking, this is where South Asia’s iGaming future takes shape.
