French organisation Team Vitality has started its planned expansion into India with the launch of a dedicated Instagram page for the team’s efforts in the country.
The account’s first post is a short video that includes the phrase “Bonjour India,” with the caption, “Welcome to the official home of Team Vitality India, stay tuned for the best in esports and more.”
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Team Vitality first revealed plans for its Indian expansion nearly a year ago, when it announced an additional €14 million (£12 million) investment from esports venture fund Rewired.GG in November 2019.
The Esports Journal spoke with Vitality CEO Nicolas Maurer at the start of this year, and he explained the potential they see in India, but also the challenges they face in entering the space.
“We’re totally convinced that there’s a lot of potential in India, because there’s a very big interest, not only in esports but in gaming,” he said. “A lot of people are very passionate there, but it’s hard to predict the time it takes for a European brand to be seen as legitimate to an Indian audience. It’s also hard to predict the way in which mobile esports will get a really solid competitive structure.”
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“Right now, it’s evolving quite quickly, but we need to see how the market evolves and at what pace. We’ll do our own things and we’ll instil the Vitality brand in India – that’s the goal. But it’s hard to predict the pace of this growth.”
Esports Insider says: India seems to be a country with great potential for esports, especially in the mobile space, although India’s recent ban of PUBG Mobile suggests that there are also unique hurdles to overcome. Fnatic, TSM, and Nova Esports have also planted a flag in the country, and there’s bound to be more global organisations entering India in time.
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