India’s gaming sector is experiencing rapid growth and is becoming a significant economic force. New data from Lumikai indicates a surge in online payments, driven by a digitally native audience eager to spend on interactive entertainment, positioning the India gaming market as a hub for both growth and innovation.
The Lumikai report, titled “Swipe Before Type,” provides a detailed analysis of this evolving digital ecosystem. It emphasizes a growing willingness among consumers to pay for digital content, especially within the gaming industry, marking a notable shift in consumer behavior.
Lumikai’s survey, conducted between September 2024 and September 2025 with 3,000 mobile phone users, revealed key trends in online payment preferences. An impressive 80% of consumers are using UPI (Unified Payments Interface) for their online transactions.
The survey data also highlights significant engagement with subscription models. At least 40% of users reported maintaining three or four active subscriptions, demonstrating a growing appetite for diverse digital content and a willingness to invest in ongoing access.
Gaming commands a substantial 70% share of the wallet for transactions exceeding Rs 1,000. This indicates that gamers are significantly more likely to spend on their passion compared to other forms of entertainment.
Salone Sehgal, Founder and Managing Partner at Lumikai, highlighted the importance of these findings, stating, “The trend reveals that India’s digitally native audience is young, data-hungry, and highly willing to pay.”
Evolving Gamer Demographics
The report sheds light on the changing demographics of Indian gamers, challenging traditional stereotypes:
- Over 46% of interactive media consumers are women.
- Over two-thirds reside in non-metro regions.
- Around 80% consume more than 1 GB of mobile data.
These figures underscore the broadening appeal of gaming across different population segments. The increasing number of women gamers in India, along with greater accessibility in non-metropolitan areas, is reshaping the gaming landscape.
The Lumikai report provides a breakdown of spending habits across various game categories, revealing consumer preferences:
- 50% of consumers surveyed paid for midcore games.
- 20% for casual games.
- 15% for real money games (which are now banned).
- 5% for hyper-casual games.
The popularity of midcore games suggests a preference for more engaging and immersive experiences. The presence of now-banned real money games highlights the regulatory challenges facing the industry.
While social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube maintain a dominant share of overall attention, gaming is rapidly gaining ground. According to Sehgal, gaming now accounts for approximately 49% of the attention share.
This intense competition for screen time underscores the need for game developers to create compelling and engaging content that can effectively capture and retain users’ attention in a crowded digital landscape.
The surge in online payments within the Indian gaming sector demonstrates the country’s increasing digital maturity and the growing willingness of consumers to invest in interactive entertainment. As the UPI payment adoption continues to increase and mobile data becomes more affordable, digital content consumption is expected to accelerate, further driving the growth of the India gaming market. The data-hungry gamer demographics in India are paving the way for the next phase of gaming innovation and expansion.
