MUMBAI: Hold onto your controllers, Gen Z gamers—Iqoo has decided it’s time to level up your gaming obsessions into something that pays real cash. The tech brand known for smartphones faster than your pizza delivery has now set out to find India’s ultimate gaming pro. The reward? A jaw-dropping Rs 10 lakh. Forget bragging rights; we’re talking serious gamer currency here!
Iqoo has kicked off the epic quest for its 2025 chief gaming officer (CGO), a role packed with more perks than a cheat code. The chosen gaming genius will help co-create new smartphones, steer the brand’s ambitious eSports vision, and hobnob with India’s gaming elite. Sounds better than a power-up mushroom, doesn’t it?
The CGO gets exclusive first dibs on the latest Iqoo gadgets and the chance to represent the brand at epic global gaming events. Better start practising those winning speeches and perfecting your gaming stance—your big break might be just a button-click away.
Iqoo India CEO Nipun Marya says, “We have always believed in the power of India’s gaming community, and the phenomenal response to our previous CGO hunt reaffirmed this. After receiving countless requests from our community, we knew we had to bring it back. At Iqoo, we are committed to empowering young gaming enthusiasts by giving them a platform to step into the eSports industry and shape the future of mobile gaming in India. With CGO as an I.P, we continue to create opportunities for Questers to turn their passion into a profession and be a part of the vision.”
With registrations open on Iqoo India’s website until 30 March 2025, young gamers aged 18-25 are invited to apply for this dream gig. The CGO will not only strategise with Iqoo’s top brass but also interact closely with over two million Questers from Iqoo Connect, the brand’s vibrant community.
The Indian gaming community is exploding like popcorn in a microwave, growing at 14.6 per cent annually from 2018 to 2024, according to IMARC. India now boasts nearly 48 crore gamers—a number larger than some countries’ entire populations!
Iqoo has already made waves, teaming up with gaming legends like Dynamo Gaming, GamerFleet, Mortal, Payal Gaming, Scout, Shreeman Legend, and UnGraduate Gamer. These superstars have stress-tested Iqoo’s devices, ensuring they’re battle-ready for the toughest gaming showdowns.
MUMBAI: Ever dreamed of owning an IPL team, only to realise your wallet’s emptier than a stadium during a rain delay? Good news—Gamerji just bowled an irresistible googly your way. Forget bidding goodbye to your savings; now, you can outbid your mates for Kohli or Rohit—all without spending real cash!
Ahmedabad-based esports juggernaut Gamerji has announced the launch of Sportsdraft, its first in-house, non-fantasy, non-RMG cricket gameplay. Set to officially go live next week, Sportsdraft mimics IPL-style player auctions, letting users virtually bid on their favourite players to build winning squads. With 16.7 million users in India and the middle east, Gamerji clearly knows how to spin a good game—and this might just be their best delivery yet.
Sportsdraft introduces cricket lovers to a fresh style of digital gaming. Participants join leagues through Gamerji’s app or website, strategically bid on players with virtual currency, and assemble dream teams to compete for glory (and Gamerji diamonds). Miss the timer by a whisker? Say goodbye to your star batsman, swiftly auctioned to your cleverer competitor.
Gamerji founder & CEO Soham Thacker shared his excitement, saying, “With India’s unbeatable run in the ongoing Champions Trophy and world’s biggest league IPL starting in just a few weeks, the cricket fever is on. Our users and telecom customers’ feedback encouraged us to develop Sportsdraft. It is a non RMG gameplay designed to engage players in building their squads using points earned on the Gamerji platform. The official game launch is scheduled for next week but traction from the beta launch has already shown 35 per cent of Gamerji users playing Sportsdraft, we expect this to double as we reach IPL season commencement.”
He further clarified, “The gameplay itself is not the conventional fantasy model. It is a season-long experience that involves drafting players and getting the thrill of owning a team rather than just selecting players randomly, putting your squad in, and staking. This is about actually experiencing the excitement of team ownership because you get exclusive rights to those players. No one else has those players when you play in your league.”
Participants can also pick their ‘Power Player’ to double points and challenge friends in thrilling daily head-to-head battles. Victors earn Gamerji diamonds, redeemable for gift vouchers—because who doesn’t like winning free stuff?
Founded by serial entrepreneur Soham Thacker in 2019, Gamerji already hosts 1,400 tournaments daily, aiming to boost its user base from 16.7 million to 30 million within the next year. Considering India’s esports market hit $200.7 million in 2024, projected to soar to $919 million by 2033 with an impressive CAGR of 18.42 per cent, Gamerji is playing the long innings smartly.
Is virtual cricket auction the future? Perhaps. For now, Gamerji’s Sportsdraft sounds like the perfect game to bring friends together—and then tear friendships apart over outbidding each other for Dhoni.
Mumbai: KGeN, a community-led gaming platform, partners with Riot Games to launch LIFT//OFF, India’s first-ever community-led and data-driven online training academy aimed at developing professional VALORANT athletes. LIFT//OFF provides aspiring gamers the opportunity to enhance their skills and showcase their abilities on a global stage.
This innovative program selects top gaming content creators as ‘creators’ and competitive gamers as ‘trainers’ from the VALORANT community to lead the academy. Creators will form teams by selecting players from their communities, with a total of 60-80 participants to be trained by 20 chosen trainers.
The selection process will be based on a player’s in-game VALORANT performance, considering factors such as hours played, win rates, kills, headshot percentage, and KDR. Additionally, social standing, including tournament wins and content creation, will play a role in determining the first set of trainers, creators, and esports recruits for LIFT//OFF.
Through LIFT//OFF, participants will connect with the global esports community. Top-performing teams will gain the opportunity to participate in official VALORANT tournaments. Additionally, creators and trainers will receive official VALORANT merchandise, recognising their pivotal role in shaping the program and advancing India’s esports scene.
LIFT//OFF goes beyond improving in-game skills—it nurtures the next generation of esports stars. The program offers guidance not only in gameplay strategies but also in fostering a strong social persona, ensuring participants become well-rounded esports professionals. By analysing data-driven insights, the academy will tailor tutorials and challenges to address specific areas of improvement for each recruit.
LIFT//OFF Roadmap:
– Launch (18 September) – Applications for creators, trainers, and recruits go live.
– Last Date to Apply (10 October) – Deadline for applications.
– Weekly & Daily Challenges Leaderboard (4 – 26 November) – Players participate in in-game challenges and win rewards.
– Finale (30 November – 3 December) – Final tournament assesses recruits’ learnings and trainers’ effectiveness.
Mumbai: AA Gaming launches AA Play, a revolutionary gaming and esports platform designed for gamers across India. The app brings together esports tournaments, community building, and digital commerce, all in one place, offering a comprehensive solution to the growing needs of the gaming ecosystem.
Developed by industry veterans, AA Play is crafted to cater to hardcore and mid-core skill-based gamers. The app will offer exciting competitions, foster connections among players, and eventually support an in-app marketplace, reshaping how gamers in India engage with each other and with games.
At launch, the app focuses on two core areas:
1. Tournaments: AA Play will provide free esports tournaments, giving players a chance to compete and win big. Aspiring esports athletes can now find regular competitions across various titles, helping them hone their skills and potentially go pro.
2. Community Building: Players can form or join communities, connecting with like-minded individuals for collaboration, meetups, and shared experiences.
A digital marketplace is planned for future updates, where gamers can purchase gaming merchandise and in-game items through a secure, user-friendly digital wallet, further enhancing the seamless gaming experience.
AA Gaming, founder and CEO, Akash Dhangar expressed his enthusiasm: “With AA Play, we are gearing up to revolutionize the gaming experience, bringing everything a gamer needs—competing, connecting, and shopping – into one exciting platform! As India’s gaming industry explodes, we’re thrilled to be at the forefront, offering a one-stop solution that puts the power in players’ hands. In the past, we focused on third-party and white-label B2B services, but this app marks a bold turning point. We’re making a giant leap towards a direct-to-consumer model, opening up incredible opportunities for innovation and new revenue streams. This is our vision for a super app that unites all things gaming in one place.”
India’s gaming industry is rapidly growing, with projections estimating it will reach a value of $1.4 billion by 2028. By then, India is expected to surpass China in the number of gamers, with a total of 730.7 million players. AA Play launches at a pivotal time to engage both new and returning gamers, contributing to the booming Indian gaming ecosystem.
Mumbai: Esports moved from being just a hobby or leisure activity after gaining official recognition as a multi-sport event by the Government of India in December 2022. The sport has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sectors in India, attracting millions of players and viewers and generating significant revenue.
Esports has also gained acceptance in prestigious international competitions, where Indian athletes not only participated but made a significant impact. In a country still finding its place on the global stage, securing a bronze medal in DOTA 2 at the Commonwealth Esports Championships and reaching the quarterfinals to secure a fifth-place finish in League of Legends at the Asian Games against top teams is a notable achievement.
Now, India has the opportunity to build on this success at the Olympic level. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently entered into a 12-year partnership with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia, announcing that the inaugural Olympic Esports Games will be held in 2025.
As the nation observes National Sports Day to honour hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand and highlight the importance of participation in sports, it is essential to recognize the modern-day discipline of esports. Now part of the Olympics, it has the potential to produce its heroes who can lead India to glory on the global stage.
India’s performance at the Paris Olympics, where the country secured six medals, highlighted its strength in traditional sports. The upcoming Olympic Esports Games in 2025 offer Indian athletes a fresh chance to excel and bring home glory in the virtual arena.
While the specific game titles are yet to be confirmed, Indian players have already shown their strength in various national and international competitions.
The recently concluded Android Battlegrounds Mobile India Masters Series (BGMS) season 3 and the Valorant Challengers South Asia Split have showcased fierce competition among the country’s top esports teams. These tournaments, organised by NODWIN Gaming provide the ideal stage and high-pressure environment for India’s athletes to hone their skills and prepare for major international multi-sport competitions.
“We are proud to provide a platform for talented esports athletes to shine through our large format IPs like BGMS and grassroots initiatives like the OMEN Valorant Campus Quest. These events feature open-for-all qualifiers, where aspiring players can compete with established teams, and offer significant prize pools that empower gamers to pursue their dreams. By providing a pathway from recreational gaming to a career in esports, NODWIN Gaming is committed to supporting Indian gamers to succeed locally and globally,” said NODWIN Gaming Co-founder and MD, Akshat Rathee.
SuperGaming, a game developer based in Pune, has also played a crucial role in building a sustainable ecosystem for Indian esports by organizing the nationwide grassroots tournament, Indus Inferno. Their upcoming game, Indus Battle Royale, which recently entered open beta, provides players with the opportunity to sharpen their esports skills in a game deeply rooted in Indian culture.
“Building world-class games requires teamwork, passion, and a belief in what is possible. With Indus, we’re not just creating a game; we are creating a platform for players to hone their skills, compete at a global level, and take pride in something made right here in India. As we set the stage for the next generation of esports athletes, we’re confident that esports in India will continue to rise and become a mainstream sport,” noted SuperGaming co-founder and CEO, Roby John.
As new talent and innovative games emerge, equipping athletes with the right tools is crucial. CyberPowerPC, a US-based gaming PC brand that recently entered the Indian market, aims to equip Indian gamers with high-quality custom and pre-built gaming PCs to help them achieve their goals.
“By merging the intensity and discipline of traditional sports with technology, esports has redefined competitive sports in the modern era. Success in esports relies as much on skill as it does on having the right tools to perform at the highest level. Therefore, it is essential that Indian gamers have access to the latest technology to break through barriers in esports. That is why we are committed to providing Indian gamers with the best hardware to pursue their ambitions. India has already made waves on the international stage in PC titles like DOTA 2 and League of Legends, and we anticipate similar success, potentially at the Olympic Esports Games,” commented CyberPowerPC India, chief operating officer, Vishal Parekh.
Mumbai: Fantasy cricket app, My11Circle, has launched a campaign featuring the ‘Women in Blue’ titled Lalkaar Ladkiyon Ki dedicated to promoting and building momentum for the Women’s T20 World Cup. Set in the backdrop of prominent women cricketers like Harmanpeet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, and Smriti Mandhana practising & preparing for the tournament, the 45-second video narrates how these women have shown resilience and grit to leave a mark in the field of cricket. My11Circle is also the proud official sponsor of Women’s T20 Challenge 2022 – a tournament to showcase women’s representation in the largest cricket league in the world.
On the sidelines of the digital campaign launch, My11Circle senior vice-president Saroj Panigrahi spoke to Indiantelevision.com about the importance of this sponsorship that goes beyond being just sponsors, towards bringing gender neutrality to the world of sports, especially cricket.
India is the biggest market for fantasy sports globally, with more than 130 million users playing across over 200 platforms. Launched in 2019, the My11Circle platform has created a distinct spot for itself witnessing a 100 per cent growth in user base last year. The brand was also the official title sponsor of Lucknow Super Giants during this season’s IPL. However, it hasn’t been a cake walk for the fantasy sports platform which had to go through its fair share of trials during the pandemic with live sports coming to a halt. Panigrahi also shared inputs on the future of online skill gaming in India and the roadmap ahead for the brand.
Edited excerpts:
On the objective behind sponsoring the Women’s T20 Challenge 2022
Cricket has always been a strategic investment for us. As an organisation, we strongly believe in gender parity. Our title sponsorship of the Women’s T20 Challenge 2022 was not only a great opportunity to demonstrate that belief, but also the perfect stage to associate with the finest batters, bowlers and fielders in the cricket world. We have consistently been striving to encourage women’s participation in games and sports that have traditionally been dominated by men, as we acknowledge the dedication and quality they bring to sports.
This partnership has strengthened our connection with millions of cricket fans throughout India, and will inspire more women to take up the sport. It has also certainly helped us in generating more visibility for the My11Circle brand.
On the recent spurt in growth in the online gaming industry
As per industry reports, the Indian gaming industry is currently pegged at $2.2 billion and expected to be a $7 billion industry by 2027. Live interaction, end-to-end encryption, payment gateways, freemium formats, hyper-personalised experiences, and other features have made the gaming environment safer and more entertaining for players. Mobile phone-based gaming applications continue to dominate the market, accounting for 86 per cent of all gaming experiences.
We are a technology company with a passion for gaming. We specialise in artificial intelligence and behavioural science. From pioneering the first online monetised skill gaming platform in India to becoming the most valued multi-gaming unicorn with over 100 million users, Games24x7 has witnessed tremendous growth in the last few years. Our fantasy platform My11Circle is India’s fastest growing fantasy sports platform, and we witnessed a 100 per cent increase in our user base last year.
On overcoming the impact of the pandemic on the company’s business
Just as the Covid pandemic wreaked havoc on every industry, the fantasy sports business also took a hit. As a platform, we are completely dependent on live sports, which came to an indefinite halt during the lockdown. However, things started to pick up after the restrictions were lifted. Our fantasy platform, My11Circle saw a 100 percent increase in its user base last year, and recorded stellar growth of over 30 per cent during this year’s IPL season.
On the industry trends you see emerging in the near future
Cricket is an important part of India’s cultural fabric and people’s interest in cricket directly translates into their interest in fantasy cricket. By associating with tournaments like the Women’s T20 Challenge, we have seen a huge growth in female user engagement on our app. We aim to maximise women’s participation in competitions that will promote the growth of sports in India by bringing to the fore new skills, talents, perspectives, standards, and idols. This will also impact women’s digital engagement patterns and the way they participate in fantasy sports.
On My11Circle’s association with the Lucknow Super Giants during this IPL
My11Circle is the official title sponsor of Lucknow Super Giants, and the brand enjoys a position of prominence on the team’s jersey. India’s central region did not have an IPL team until 2021, so it was a great opportunity for us to associate with Lucknow Super Giants. Since our fan base is spread across different regions, we have witnessed an amazing response. There has been strong support for the team from users which has been reflected in their engagement on our platform.
Our association with the Lucknow Super Giants has played a key role in the expansion of our user base. While the team was a new entrant to the fray, their performances were nothing short of remarkable. The brand of cricket that LSG played, and their involvement till the final stages of the tournament piqued the fans’ interest, and gave us exceptional visibility, translating into many new users joining our platform.
On the future of fantasy sports and online skill gaming in India
Owing to the increasing internet penetration, we see a lot of opportunities for user expansion in the coming years. If we look at data, mobile gaming is poised to surpass $136 billion in 2022. Technology will help us diversify narratives, create immersive storylines, and build more realistic gaming experiences for our players.
The fantasy sports industry is poised to play a huge role in creating highly skilled jobs, generating revenue, attracting FDI, propagating sporting culture, and contributing to India’s socioeconomic status. As a sport of national value, cricket garners a lot of buzz in the fantasy ecosystem. However, in the coming years, other sports like kabaddi, football and hockey will be gaining traction in the fantasy space. The ever-growing fan base of fantasy sports is further redefining the love for gaming as a mainstream recreational activity.
