According to market research firms, the mobile games market was worth $2 bn in 2004 globally, and is expected to grow to $9 bn by the year 2009. In India itself, it was reported to be $26 mn in 2004 and is expected to grow to $330 mn by 2009. This is one of the new media industries where India seems to be on the forefront. India's contribution has not only been limited to the development of mobile games for the international market but it is also driving the growth at home. Unlike in software where the primary market for software developed in India is abroad, mobile games actually have a huge potential in India. This article explores challenges and advantages that India has.

What are the challenges that India faces at the moment to become a global leader in mobile games? Can it follow the IT example and be the number one in this industry as well. There are many questions yet to be answered.

Mobile games are a new technology medium where innovation and R&D are required every single day to keep the pace with the rapidly changing telecom platforms. While IT companies out of India will continue doing projects for Hollywood and European studios to deliver animation and interactivity coding, concepts and visual design are still very much done outside India. There are few techno-creative houses out of India who have taken up the mantle of putting together mobile games as end-to-end projects. To name a few: Mobile2win, Indiagames, Paradox Studios have not only made a name for them in India but are well-known names in North America and Europe among mobile gamers. Big IP (Intellectual Property) licenses-Spanish League Soccer with Mobile2win, Spiderman with IndiaGames, etc., have now trusted the Indian gaming companies to come out with end products fully conceptualized and developed in-house.

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