Vodafone Idea has partnered with Indian games company Nazara Technologies to launch a mobile games subscription service in the country.
It's the first foray of the Indian telecom company into gaming, with its Vi Games service set to offer over 1,200 Android and HTML5 mobile games.
The subscription service is organised across different tiers: the 'Gold Games' (around 30 at launch) will be available from Rs. 50 ($0.65) a month, the 'Platinum Games' start at Rs. 25 ($0.32) and, finally, there will be over 250 free games.
The plan is for the platform to host "social gaming and esports" in the future, Vodafone added.
Chief marketing officer Avneesh Khosla commented: "We are seeing a significant uptake of gaming consumption in India with more than 95% of gaming enthusiasts using the mobile device to enjoy a wide variety of content. Deeper penetration of smartphones and 4G availability has led to meteoric growth and adoption of gaming content making it a popular choice for fun and entertainment.
"We see gaming as a major focus area of our digital content strategy and we intend to build a comprehensive play encompassing most facets of gaming with the aim of establishing Vi as a preferred destination for both, casual as well as serious gamers. Our partnership with Nazara Technologies will elevate the gaming experience that we offer to our consumers through a wide bouquet of exclusive games available on the Vi app for our users."