Highlights
- Women gamers now account for 45% of the Indian player base, especially ages 18–30, and outside major cities.
- Casual and midcore mobile games dominate, while PC and console access expands along with a strong “pay-to-play” culture.
- Women drive engagement and purchases in audio, social, and gaming apps, positioning India as a global mobile-first leader.
Women now represent 45% of India’s gaming population, with 44% aged between 18 and 30, according to new research from Lumikai. This surge is most notable in non-metro regions, where India’s mobile-first audience is driving record engagement and revenue within the country’s rapidly growing gaming ecosystem.
Mobile Gaming Leads, PC and Console Access Expands
Casual and midcore mobile games are top preferences among India’s women gamers, as more than 99% of players nationwide use smartphones. Gaming PC access is up to 30%, and 22% report console usage. Most players juggle two to three games at a time, citing relaxation and socializing as primary motivations.
Monetization Shifts: Pay and Play
A growing willingness to pay underlines this shift in game consumption. Over 30% of users make in-game purchases, typically for cosmetic upgrades and power-ups. UPI and wallet apps drive more than 90% of all gaming transactions. Nearly 30% of users report spending via third party webshops or platforms, creating a distinctive three-tier wallet behavior: games command 70% of spend at ticket sizes over INR 1,000, while social and video platforms drive smaller transactions.
Social and Community Apps Mirror the Trend
While social media usage remains higher among men, there’s a notable overlap in communities. Lumikai notes that users spend an average of 10 hours weekly on social platforms, largely to interact with close circles and influencers. Forty-three percent of users pay for extras like subscriptions and virtual gifts, especially in sectors like dating, astrology, and edutainment.
Handhelds, Audio, and AI: Expanding the Experience
Audio content and participative social apps are gaining ground, with podcasts now outranking music among young, metro-based users; nearly 60% pay for audio content. AI features in gaming and media show higher adoption in metros, with users split on virtual companions but open to other AI-generated experiences.
