Niantic Shares Pokémon GO Mumbai Event Secrets: Exclusive

We got an opportunity to interact with Pokémon GO, the world's leading augmented reality mobile game. Sundarraman Ramalingam is the India manager at Niantic, and he has introduced the flagship City Safari event in Mumbai. Every gamer who plays Pokemon Go is excited for the event. Before joining Niantic, he was associated with Garena and has contributed to various marketing programs. So just keep reading as we give you more insights about the upcoming event of Pokémon GO in Mumbai. Read the tips and tricks given by the India manager at Niantic Sundarraman himself.  

PCQuest asked Sundarraman,India manager at Niantic How Pokémon GO is, bearing the flag and building its category of social interactive gaming in India?

He says Pokémon GO is going quite strong in India, and it is one of our key markets, through all of the activities undertaken, especially in the last two years. In 2023, we launched the game in Hindi, and last year we introduced Pikachu in saree and Kurta, exclusively for Indian players. Continuing with our efforts, we're bringing the game’s one of the flagship events, City Safari to Mumbai. Our focus has been quite strong with India, and we've seen great reception as well. As Pokémon GO is a game that encourages people to come out to play with friends, we've seen strong growth in the number of Trainers exploring their neighbourhood to play the game. We are currently present in more than 30, Tier 1, 2 and 3 cities in India, and we have more than 50 communities meeting every month. So, quite excited about where we are, and we are also super excited about where we wish to be. 

How has Niantic witnessed changes in player engagement, or the demographics? Or have you received any kind of feedback from your Hindi speaking players?

Sundarraman says, there is a lot of positive feedback. While there was high reception of players playing in English also, the introduction of Hindi has also reaped positive engagement as it has boosted confidence among players, demonstrating Pokémon GO's commitment to the country. It has also made the game more accessible to individuals who might not have been as inclined to play otherwise. Overall, this initiative has been positive and impactful, and we are excited about exploring more engaging activities in the future.

PCquest asked if Niantic will release anything new for Pokémon GO that is specifically special to India? 

Sundarraman says we can expect to be a lot more involved in the country, in terms of our marketing initiatives, to bring more excitement for our players. There is a lot in the pipeline which I cannot discuss right now. But to recap what we did recently in India, there was Pikachu in saree and kurta which was exclusively for Indian Trainers. We also collaborated with popular cricketer, Yuzvendra Chahal, and Bollywood couple, Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh. And moving forward, we will also be looking to be local for our players, to be able to connect with them and reach out to a wider audience and excite them about the game.

We further asked how Pokémon GO is influencing the gaming culture in India, particularly, if we talk about the younger audiences?

He says this will come a little anecdotal, because of the sort of experience in the community that we have seen. Earlier, it used to be just the hardcore Pokémon fans who used to play the game, however, now people realise that Pokémon GO is a very different game as compared to others. Thanks to all the marketing initiatives and engagement efforts undertaken by the team, people now understand that Pokémon GO is a game where you have to go out and explore. 

Sundarraman says a lot of aspects of exercise and socializing are involved in it, and there are a lot of positive benefits that come out of the game that we've seen a lot of players who have not necessarily been a hardcore Pokémon fan, pick up very fondly. Through the game, people belonging to older age-groups are also finding ways to bond with their kids. We have seen many joining the communities and coming out to play the game with their children. I believe it is a great achievement for the game, and this is a great way for them to bond without having to be confined within the four walls to play a game. So, the purpose for which the game was built is bringing a lot of positive outcomes and we have seen the communities reaping the benefits of the game.

How important is India's tech talent in Niantic’s vision of augmented reality. Are there any initiatives to collaborate with local developers or maybe tech companies? 

This is something that we are looking at from a wider perspective but as of now, our major focus is expanding the presence of the game, building a bigger team, getting a greater number of people on board and getting more local support. 

PCQ asked if there are any ongoing investments in India that Niantic has or thought of, or any other initiatives or events that are that you are planning, to enhance the player engagement? 

Sundarraman says, “Yeah, there are a couple of initiatives in pipeline, but unfortunately, I'll not be able to reveal them right now.” Please stay tuned as some very exciting announcements will be coming your way within just a couple of weeks. For the second half of 2025 and next year, we have some very interesting plans set for Indian players. For now, we've already announced the biggest thing which is City Safari: Mumbai. And to give some context, City Safari happens only in select few cities across the globe every year. And this is the first live flagship event by Pokémon GO for India. We are witnessing the excitement in the community and if I were to take learnings from the City Safari Jakarta, that happened last year in Indonesia, we saw an influx of 40,000 people for the event. In terms of revenue, USD 10 million was generated during the event out of which USD 1.1 million was translated to government income. We are expecting a similar number from the Pokémon GO City Safari in Mumbai which is scheduled for March 2025. There is a lot of value driven by events for the country and the society in terms of tourism. This is something that is super exciting for us, and we are looking forward to welcoming a great crowd in Mumbai.

The first ever Pokémon Go City Safari that's coming up in March. So, what are your expectations for this event, and how do you think this is going to impact the local gaming community?

Sundarraman says “Our expectation is that this will be the biggest congregation of Pokémon GO players in India so far, and we're seeing signs of it. We are seeing excitement in the community. We are seeing the sort of mobilization that is required for this to happen. So, we are sure this is going to be big, and we are excited to enable it.”

PCQ further asked how do you think it's going to impact the local game?

Sundarraman says Pokémon GO is a game which is best enjoyed when you're playing with the community, and when you're playing with your friends. Through City Safari, we are aiming at pulling the biggest congregation of Pokémon GO players. We want them to connect with other Pokémon GO players, and to form communities. This supports the wider vision of Niantic which aspired to enhance our real life through augmented reality. We believe this will take us one step further, connect all our players much more closely and we expect that to help people play the game a lot more enjoyably in the future.

PCQ asked would you like to give any tips to the first-time trainers who are attending the City Safari event because everyone's excited about this. So, is there any tip, any tricks that you would like to give the first-time trainers? 

Sundarraman says “I think for the new trainers who are attending a Pokémon Go Live event for the first time, my number one tip would be to carry a water bottle with you. Please ensure which spots are going to be the ones that most players are going to be visiting. We will have one key spot which we will be announcing mostly by the end of next week, and that's where most of our activations will be. We're looking forward to seeing you there.” He further added, but at the same time, Mumbai can get a little hot towards the end of March, so please carry water bottles with you. Also, interact with as many Pokémon GO trainers as you can because that's when the game gets even more exciting, and our communities are one of the most supportive and positive communities. They'll be more than happy to support you and help you with any questions or queries that you have.

PCQ asked, will there be any opportunities for community meetups or any special trades? 

“Yes, there definitely will be opportunities for community meetups and special trades. And we are also planning for some very popular faces to join us at the event”, said Sundarraman. He further said, we are focusing on India, and we are committed to investing a lot more in India this year and the next year as well, which will be the 10th year anniversary for Pokémon GO. So please stay tuned. Pikachu is a saree and kurta launched last year, and City Safari in Mumbai this year is just the beginning, and a lot more, very exciting events are coming your way.