Haryana MP Kartikeya Sharma seeks sports status for esports

During the Zero Hour on Tuesday, Rajya Sabha member Kartikeya Sharma urged the government to grant official sports status to esports and introduce comprehensive regulation of online gaming, citing its growing economic significance as well as rising concerns around child safety and mental health.

Sharma said India’s creative economy is currently valued at around $30 billion and supports nearly 8 per cent of the working population, forming a critical pillar of the government’s $1 trillion digital economy vision. India today has over 500 million amateur gamers, the largest gaming audience globally, along with lakhs of professional players.

The domestic gaming market, currently estimated at $3.7 billion, is projected to grow to $10 billion by 2030, while the AVGC (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics) sector is expected to require nearly 2 million skilled professionals by 2030.

Kartikeya Sharma pressed for official sports status for Esports, stating that formal recognition would help establish professional leagues, regulated training systems, and legitimate career pathways for Indian youth, while strengthening India’s position in the global digital economy.

However, he also sounded an alert over the “crisis of unregulated amateur online gaming,” particularly its impact on children. Unregulated gaming has been directly linked to rising cases of gaming addiction, anxiety, and depression among children and adolescents.

Sharma said the technological advancement must not come at the cost of child safety. He stressed that protecting children in digital spaces is both a policy necessity and a moral responsibility.