New Delhi, April 13 (IANS): India's top gaming personalities, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and discussed the rise of gaming industry, aspirations of youth and many more, on Saturday, said: "Thanks to PM Modi for gifting us a lifetime memory."

Popular gamers like Animesh Agarwal, Naman Mathur, Payal Dhare, Anshu Bisht, Ganesh Gangadhar, Mithilesh Patankar and Tirth Mehta met PM Modi.

"It was truly an honour to discuss the rapid rise of esports in India with the Prime Minister and share our vision about revolutionising the future," said Agarwal.

Payal Dhare, the only woman gamer present at the table, said that PM Modi's vision for game development in India around culture, environmental issues, etc is something she felt "very strongly about," and she hopes that "it helps take Indian games to the global stage."

During the discussion, the gamers also shared their individual journeys, struggles and wins.

"Who thought I would be playing with the PM and personally walking him through the nuances of one of the games around the theme of Indian mythology," Mathur said.

The Prime Minister played Beat Saber (a virtual reality game), Razi (a PC game), and Stumble Guys (a mobile game) with the gamers.

According to the latest FICCI-EY report, participation in esports tournaments increased to 1.8 million in 2023, across several notable titles and competitive levels, with an expected increase to 2.5 million by 2024.

Additionally, game streamers witnessed a notable growth in viewership of 20 per cent to 25 per cent, particularly in Tier-II cities.