Indian state Tamil Nadu honored with the 'State Contribution to the Esports Industry' award at the GEM Awards at the annual GAFX 2025 in Bengaluru. The prestigious honor acknowledges the state's significant efforts to develop competitive gaming throughout India.
The award was accepted by Thiru J. Meghanatha Reddy, IAS and CEO of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), highlighting the government's dedication to supporting esports from the grassroots level.
"Never expected that, as a government, we would receive an award for esports," remarked Reddy during the ceremony. "But as a state, we have always had a passion for developing any kind of sport that comes across us. We have understood that esports is the game of the future and with the kind of attention it is getting."
Tamil Nadu made a breakthrough last year by officially including esports as a demonstration sport in the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Trophy 2024. This bold move made them one of the first states to actually include competitive gaming in a big government-backed sports event.
The gaming lineup was pretty impressive too. According to reports, they featured eight popular titles, including BGMI, Pokémon UNITE, Real Cricket 2024, EAFC 2024, NBA 2K25, EChess, Street Fighter 6, and F1 2024.
Skyesports jumped in as the Principal technical partner for the CM's Trophy 2024's esports segment.
The state's forward-thinking approach has opened new doors for competitive gamers across the region. Many young enthusiasts now see a legitimate pathway to pursue their passion for gaming at a professional level.
Riding this success wave, Reddy dropped some exciting news about Tamil Nadu's next big move. "Taking that [TN CM's Trophy] as inspiration, this year we're creating a World Esports Championship in Chennai. You'll probably hear about it very soon," he revealed.
The state is now setting its sights beyond national boundaries to make an impact on the global esports scene.
The GEM Awards 2025 is part of the larger GAFX 2025 event in Bengaluru, which is backed by Karnataka's government. It's an annual gathering that brings together professionals, artists, and students from the Animation, VFX, and Gaming communities.
This year's GAFX has also embraced esports for the first time by hosting the Skyesports Souvenir National Esports Championship for Counter-Strike 2, bringing together top teams from all over the country.
Tamil Nadu's recognition comes right when India's esports scene is booming, with more young people jumping in and growing interest from sponsors and media alike. According to the Lumikai report, India's gaming industry is anticipated to grow to $9.2 billion by FY29. The report also highlights that India now has 591 million active gamers, with 23 million new users added in FY24 alone. Interestingly, 66% of gamers were from non-metro cities, with 43% of gamers being first-time earners in the 18-30 age group.
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