Colab Platforms makes foray into esports category, targets 8-10pc share in five years

Mumbai: Gaming and technology company Colab Platforms on Monday said it has made a foray into esports category with the launch of its portal colabesports.in and targets 8–10 per cent of India’s organized esports market within the next five years.

The portal is a comprehensive competitive gaming platform designed to serve India's digital-first generation of esports athletes, Colab Platforms said in a statement.

"The launch comes at a pivotal time when India's esports market has demonstrated exceptional growth momentum, reaching USD 208.73 million in 2024 and projected to expand at a CAGR of 18.8 per cent to reach USD 1.168 billion by 2034," the company said.

Colab has launched the platform ahead of Olympic e-sports to be held in 2027.

“Our strategic objective is to capture 8–10 per cent of India’s organized esports market within the next five years, leveraging our integrated ecosystem, strong technology backbone, and community engagement model. We aim to be among the top three esports platforms in India by 2027,” the company said.

Driven by esports, digital engagement platforms, and sports-related content services, the company projects a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25–30 per cent in overall revenues over the next three years, it said.

In the initial year, esports will contribute 5–7 per cent of total revenues, primarily through sponsorships, brand partnerships, tournament hosting, and in-platform monetization, Colab said.

“Over the next three years, we expect esports to account for 20–25% of overall revenue, supported by accelerated adoption, player engagement, and expanding competitive gaming formats,” the company said.

Commenting on a recent law passed by Parliament to ban real money online games, the company said the recent restrictions on real-money gaming have minimal impact on Colab Platforms as our esports model is skill-based, tournament-driven, and non-betting in nature, fully compliant with government regulations.

“We see this as a positive shift, as it channels user interest toward regulated and legitimate competitive formats like esports, creating a safer ecosystem for players and advertisers,” it added.