The ongoing pandemic jeopardized the standard word order. The sudden changes in our lifestyles have taken most of us by surprise. And yet, some of them come with their fair share of upsides. One such area is online gaming. The pandemic has proved to be a boon for Indian gaming startups. Startups such as Dream11, WinZO and Paytm First Games, etc. witnessed a huge spike in user engagement and traffic during the lockdown, as gaming was the only option left as a source of entertainment. Moreover, playing with friends and family members gave the players a feeling of community.

The Indian online gaming market is poised to grow to $1 billion by 2021, according to a Google-KPMG report. A young population, access to the internet and entertainment-seeking behaviour of the millennials are the key factors driving online gaming in a country. Gaming companies in India are consistently making exceptional contributions to the gaming development markets in India and globally as well. The demands of interactive games are on the rise, which is helping gaming companies to turn the tables on their side.

Here's a list of a few of the emerging online gaming startups that are connecting the world through interactive gaming experiences and are all set to enter 2021 with a bang:

1) Fantasy Akhada - Fantasy Akhada is a Fantasy Gaming Startup Company based out in Gurgaon which has received various angel funding from the top most investors in the field of gaming. It provides you with one such platform, covering Fantasy Cricket and Fantasy Football, where you can come, play, and win exciting contests and wear the pride of beating the best in the country on your sleeves. And while you do all this, you are getting an opportunity to make real money too. Fantasy Akhada recently appointed Harsha Bhogle as their brand ambassador cum investor in September 2020.

2) Indian Gaming League (IGL) - IGL was created by a team of gamers who strongly feel that Indian players need a stage to jump-start their gaming careers. Participating on IGL will not only give amateur and professional gamers the ability to earn some serious cash but also top tier gamers will receive an opportunity to compete with other professionals on a national level! If you want to level up your life and make a career playing your favourite games, IGL is here for you. Keep an eye out for tournaments updated daily.

3) PokerDangal - PokerDangal, an India-based leading online Poker playing platforms is a flagship product of Xeta Networks Pvt. Ltd. Established in 2017, it has completed its third year and this year it has engrossed their customers yet again with a safe, reliable and fun ecosystem along with a completely hassle-free gaming environment. The company is equipped with all required technology certifications and adopts the best of security measures to provide its players with a totally secure payment gateway with multiple options for deposits. One of the biggest drawbacks of any online gaming platform is the community feeling, the feeling of belongingness. Keeping that in mind PokerDangal has created an offering of Private Tables on its platform where you can chat with your family or friends and can play the game together.

4) 9stacks - 9stacks is the best online poker platform, and chosen poker destination for new, as well as regular poker players in India to have fun, develop poker skills and win money. 9stacks is a professionally run Indian online poker platform and 100% legal in India. As a highly reliable, safe and trusted poker site in India, it processes the fastest cashouts when you win money on 9stacks. Both the 9stacks website and the 9stacks app have an easy-to-use intuitive interface which enables you to play online poker seamlessly, on your phone or computer; anytime, anywhere. 9stacks recently appointed Suresh Raina as its brand ambassador.

5) The Esports Club (TEC) - TEC is an esports tournament platform which was founded in 2019 by Vamsi Krishna and Ishaan Arya. It has been created to power esports experiences at the grassroots level in India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. The entire team behind The Esports Club eats, sleeps, and breathes gaming. Together its members have 40+ years of experience in gaming, esports and marketing. The company's platform is designed for tournaments, news updates & interaction. Gamers can quickly sign up and compete in a variety of competitions. They can participate in long events, short events, casual events, or semi-professional or professional tournaments.