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Tag: Manish Agarwal

  • Felicity Games secures $700K pre-seed funding

    Felicity Games secures $700K pre-seed funding

    Mumbai: Felicity Games, a casual game developer and publisher, has secured a $700K pre-seed funding from DeVC, Visceral Capital and marquee angel investors including Kunal Shah of CRED, former Nazara CEO, Manish Agarwal, Sriharsha Majety, Nandan Reddy of Swiggy and Google Cloud (APAC) head of gaming Sameer Pittalwala, among others.

    Felicity was founded in 2023 by ex-Swiggy executive Anurag Choudhary with an aim to become India’s leading mobile game publisher. In under a year, Felicity has launched over 10 game titles, which are played by more than a million monthly users across 14 geographies. The company will use the funds towards testing 10 more such games by March 2025. The company aims to scale revenue by 10x by the end of this year.

    The company’s success lies in rapidly prototyping and testing casual games in partnership with Indian game developers for commercial viability using a proprietary framework called ‘Pokhran’, and accordingly scaling only the successful ones.

    Felicity Games founder and CEO Anurag Choudhary said, “Given our cost and skill advantages, Felicity Games is well placed to build a multi-million dollar casual gaming business from India for the world.”

    “Felicity has a unique vision to mobilise the growing ecosystem of Indie developers with the capability of producing high-quality game prototypes at a fraction of the cost. Felicity combines an objective approach to commercial testing with iterations on non-conventional channels to drive risk-adjusted growth for new IPs, unlocking developer friendly publishing for the indie ecosystem” said founding member Divyanshi Chowdhary from DeVC.

    Felicity recently launched two titles ‘Seek & Find’, and ‘Nova Solitaire’ which are already unit economics positive in the US and other western markets with 100,000 plus downloads within a period of three months.

    Beyond game development and publishing, Felicity Games distinguishes itself through strategic partnerships with studios and brands to co-create compelling intellectual properties (IPs). This collaborative approach not only enriches the gaming ecosystem but also expands the company’s reach and influence within the industry.

  • PrepInsta elevates Manish Agarwal to the position of CMO

    PrepInsta elevates Manish Agarwal to the position of CMO

    Mumbai: Ed-tech startup PrepInsta has elevated Manish Agarwal to chief marketing officer’s position of the brand and also given him co-founder status. Manish was earlier heading the business development at the brand and will now also be managing marketing activities for the brand.

    The development follows the recent announcement of the brand to go aggressive with its expansion in terms of associations with universities and widen its user base.

    In his new role, Manish plans to go aggressive not just with the mainstream but also in regional communications. He aims at tapping the potential audience in Tier II of India for which he will be introducing vernacular communication in the marketing strategy. Additionally, his focus will be towards strong digital marketing to increase the traction on the platform.

    “Edtech space is growing at an unexpected pace, and amidst this it is very important to catch up with continuous innovation and ideas,” said Agarwal. “In India, the one who cuts a sustainable slice of Tier II might stand out for longer, therefore, there is a dire need for business development targets to stay in sync with marketing approach. We at PrepInsta, have some ambitious objectives for the ongoing fiscal, and therefore we are upgrading our management structure which fits the larger plan. We are sure this is going to produce some fruitful results for the entire team, and I could not be more excited about my new responsibilities as the CMO.” 

    Manish has secured a BTech (ECE) from Vellore Institute of Technology. He started his professional career with Accenture as an ASE, working as MainFrames Developer for a reputed Insurance Client, post which he joined PrepInsta.

    “Manish has a very clear approach towards the company’s targets, and with his insights on the industry he is all geared up to drive the marketing front completely. Being the third most funded startups sector in India, edtech has a lot of opportunities, but so is the competition. Awareness and content quality are two main factors that break the ice for any brand. We are glad that our co-founder is handholding the first important factor for us,” said PrepInsta co-founder & CEO Atulya Kaushik. 

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  • Bikano elevates the humble ‘moongphalee’ with Peanut Ball

    Bikano elevates the humble ‘moongphalee’ with Peanut Ball

    NEW DELHI: Taking the humble peanut and elevating it to suit classic and contemporary taste buds, Bikano has introduced Peanut Ball, another mouth-watering offering from its stables.

    When it comes to this peanut-based snack option, “taste lies at the core”, thereby delivering what a really foodie wants.

    “By improvising the humble peanut into Peanut Ball as one of the crunchiest and tastiest peanut-based snacks, we wanted the snack lover to really relish and feel the crunchiness with every bite that he takes. At the same time, the spiciness of it would give an instant punch and impact of eating something extraordinary to those eating it,” said Manish Agarwal, director, Bikano Group.

    “In India, eating moongphalee or peanuts has been a cultural thing. Not only do we eat peanuts during the evening hours for a light snack, we often discuss several day-to-day matters with relatives, friends and colleagues while peeling off peanuts and tossing those little nuts into our mouths. To that extent, the carefully prepared Peanut Ball literally turns out to be your food for thought,”  added Agarwal.

    Given the popularity of peanuts, the brand has priced the Peanut Ball reasonably at Rs 10 only. With a view to ensure its widest possible availability, the product has been stocked across the company’s general and modern trade network.

    The Peanut Ball is the latest addition to Bikano’s extensive product portfolio. Last month, the brand successfully launched its line of flavourful and healthy multi-grain chips.

  • HalaPlay appoints L&K Saatchi and Saatchi as creative agency

    HalaPlay appoints L&K Saatchi and Saatchi as creative agency

    MUMBAI: HalaPlay, a popular fantasy sports platform, has appointed L&K Saatchi & Saatchi to handle its creative duties.

    The agency has rolled out a brand new campaign featuring Hardik and Krunal Pandya to promote HalaPlay’s fantasy cricket platform, playing on the importance of the ‘Bro Code’ and how this so-called sacred code can be broken when the platform’s huge winnings are at stake. The high-decibel campaign has been launched on all media platforms.

    Commenting on the campaign and the agency appointment, HalaPlay co-founder Prateek Anand said, “Fantasy Sports has become a way of life for many Indians, which is where we see our exponential growth come from. At a product level, our attempt has been to put the power in the hands of our player community and create a feeling of collectivism, hence the introduction of a strong product hook, like the no platform fee for games between friends/brothers. L&K Saatchi & Saatchi  helped us fuel the momentum further during the prime cricketing season by creating our first campaign, leveraging Hardik and Krunal Pandya’s cricketing skills and their mischievous brotherly chemistry.”

    L&K Saatchi & Saatchi CEO and managing partner Anil Nair said, “In a cricket-crazy country like ours, everybody has their eyes and ears glued to their phones for the next three months. With an opportunity like this, our campaign aims to make a mark in their minds and engage in a way that easily resonates with them.”

    Nazara Technologies Ltd chief executive officer Manish Agarwal mentioned, “We at Nazara, were looking for creative partners who can match the passion of HalaPlay founders to build a lasting legacy in the shortest possible time. The team at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi has been more than an equal match to the challenges thrown at them. This is a fantastic start to a long journey which all the teams have embarked upon and we are confident of establishing HalaPlay as a very strong consumer brand.”a

  • Nazara Games to invest $20 million in eSports, league planned

    Nazara Games to invest $20 million in eSports, league planned

    With the advent of higher internet speeds coming into play and India making a digital push, industry biggies are betting that 2017 will be the game changer for eSports and are making large investments. What’s luring them is the fast expanding $892 million eSports global market and the fact that 2016 saw over Rs 75 lakh being plonked down in prize money in India.

    Amongst the first to announce its intentions was serial media investor Ronnie Screwval’s Usports which rolled out UCypher, a Rs. 100 crore eSports tournament. Now another mega player in the game publishing space, the Rs 220 crore Nazara Games, has unveiled a plan to invest around $20 million over the next few years. Included in this is its own eSports league.

    To read more click here
    http://www.animationxpress.com/index.php/latest-news/nazara-games-to-invest-20-million-in-esports-league-planned

  • Eggfirst launches Centric TVC

    Eggfirst launches Centric TVC

    MUMBAI: Priyanka Communications has launched a TV commercial for its latest offering ‘Centric Mobile’. Centric Mobiles present an unmatchable value proposition, one that combines best-in-class features with competitive prices.

    Strategised and conceptualised by Eggfirst, a Mumbai-based, full-service advertising agency, the film is expected to touch the hearts and minds of consumers. The TVC will be followed by a multi-media campaign.

    “Eggfirst presented a very detailed and promising approach to communicate the value proposition of the brand ‘Centric’. We were impressed with their consumer insight, which positioned the mobile with a specific consumer profile. Not to mention the emotional zone through which we wished to connect with our consumers,” says Priyanka Communications director Manish Agarwal.

    Eggfirst CMD Ravikant Banka commented, “We are delighted to be given the stewardship of this upcoming brand.”

  • Eggfirst launches Centric TVC

    Eggfirst launches Centric TVC

    MUMBAI: Priyanka Communications has launched a TV commercial for its latest offering ‘Centric Mobile’. Centric Mobiles present an unmatchable value proposition, one that combines best-in-class features with competitive prices.

    Strategised and conceptualised by Eggfirst, a Mumbai-based, full-service advertising agency, the film is expected to touch the hearts and minds of consumers. The TVC will be followed by a multi-media campaign.

    “Eggfirst presented a very detailed and promising approach to communicate the value proposition of the brand ‘Centric’. We were impressed with their consumer insight, which positioned the mobile with a specific consumer profile. Not to mention the emotional zone through which we wished to connect with our consumers,” says Priyanka Communications director Manish Agarwal.

    Eggfirst CMD Ravikant Banka commented, “We are delighted to be given the stewardship of this upcoming brand.”

  • Nazara Games ropes in Times Internet’s Rashmi Ranjan Mishra as business head

    Nazara Games ropes in Times Internet’s Rashmi Ranjan Mishra as business head

    MUMBAI: Nazara Games has appointed Rashmi Ranjan Mishra as their new business head – Brand Solutions. He will be heading ad sales nationally across all the games published by Nazara.

    Prior to Nazara, Mishra was the Regional Sales Manager at TIL (Times Internet Limited) where he was looking after Mobile/Digital Ad Sales and Solutions for West and South India. Rashmi has over 10 years of experience in Mobile/Digital domain with expertise in Sales and Business Development.

    Mishra started his career with Mumbai based Mobile Marketing start up called Cellent Tech where he was heading the domestic business. Rashmi has, in his past work experience, led revenue growth for companies like; Times Internet, Start Corp and Cellent. He comes with deep industry relationships and flair for offering pertinent brand solutions to brands. He has successfully demonstrated abilities in customer relationship management with his expertise in key account management and ensured an increase in revenues through cross selling.

    Nazara Games CEO Manish Agarwal said, “We at Nazara Games welcome Rashmi to the super exciting world of gaming and we are confident that he will soon carve a niche for himself in mobile gaming”.

    Mishra said, “The excitement of brands around mobile gaming, in my numerous meetings with agencies and brand marketers, reinforces my belief that gaming is the new frontier for innovative work to happen in space of brand solutions. I am confident that with the large bouquet of high quality local IP based games in the Nazara portfolio, the Indian market will see many innovative solutions via partnerships between brands and Nazara in the coming months.”

  • Nazara Games ropes in Times Internet’s Rashmi Ranjan Mishra as business head

    Nazara Games ropes in Times Internet’s Rashmi Ranjan Mishra as business head

    MUMBAI: Nazara Games has appointed Rashmi Ranjan Mishra as their new business head – Brand Solutions. He will be heading ad sales nationally across all the games published by Nazara.

    Prior to Nazara, Mishra was the Regional Sales Manager at TIL (Times Internet Limited) where he was looking after Mobile/Digital Ad Sales and Solutions for West and South India. Rashmi has over 10 years of experience in Mobile/Digital domain with expertise in Sales and Business Development.

    Mishra started his career with Mumbai based Mobile Marketing start up called Cellent Tech where he was heading the domestic business. Rashmi has, in his past work experience, led revenue growth for companies like; Times Internet, Start Corp and Cellent. He comes with deep industry relationships and flair for offering pertinent brand solutions to brands. He has successfully demonstrated abilities in customer relationship management with his expertise in key account management and ensured an increase in revenues through cross selling.

    Nazara Games CEO Manish Agarwal said, “We at Nazara Games welcome Rashmi to the super exciting world of gaming and we are confident that he will soon carve a niche for himself in mobile gaming”.

    Mishra said, “The excitement of brands around mobile gaming, in my numerous meetings with agencies and brand marketers, reinforces my belief that gaming is the new frontier for innovative work to happen in space of brand solutions. I am confident that with the large bouquet of high quality local IP based games in the Nazara portfolio, the Indian market will see many innovative solutions via partnerships between brands and Nazara in the coming months.”

  • Challenges faced by the OTT players in India; the way ahead

    Challenges faced by the OTT players in India; the way ahead

    MUMBAI: With the majority of the OTT players operating on a freemium model, subscriptions are enjoying a new prominence as a revenue model for digital content and apps. While India saw Ditto TV working on the subscription revenue model, Balaji is all set enter the digital space with its digital platform Alt Digital Media.  

    The panel discussion on ‘Cracking the money code- Challenges and solutions for Digital Subscription models’ at FICCI FRAMES 2016 discussed the revenue models and the profit generation formula for this sector. Industry stalwarts included VUClip CEO Nickhil Jakatdar, Nazara Technologies CEO Manish Agarwal, ALT Entertainment chief strategy officer Eklavya Bhattacharya, Eros Digital COO Karan Bedi and Spuul India CEO Rajiv Vaidya. The session was moderated by BBC World News presenter Ros Atkins.

    After throwing light on the revenue models that each of the platforms followed, the panellists broadly discussed the revenue models that are followed in India with their positives and negatives and the various challenges that OTT was facing due to certain issues like infrastructure, piracy, etc.

    Initiating the discussion with how the ‘freemium’ model helped the OTT platforms, VUClip’s Jakatdar said, “The thing with such an emerging market is that if you don’t give content for free to the viewers, they will switch to some other place where they are getting it. You need to have content beyond the subscription pay wall. For example, in Malaysia, we found that Korean content works well there and is extremely popular. We got the simulcast content rights for Korea which they had to pay for, but the library content was for free.”

    He further added that, “We believe in micro payments which means that viewers can pay per content they view.  This means that they can buy data for a single day and don’t have to pay a monthly subscription. This is working well for us.”

    “Even as we use the freemium model, the free content for is important. If we look at the free content on the platforms as an ad-revenue driver, then we may find it difficult to sustain in this space ,” he further added.

    Differing with Jakatdar, ALT Entertainment’s Bhattacharya opined, “I don’t agree that the consumers will move to a different platform if you charge them. That’s going happen if you provide the same content on different platforms. It is definitely a challenge to provide exclusive quality. People don’t want to watch free content. They want to watch good content. The key for such platforms is to target the most loyal audiences and to provide them good quality and exclusive content which they can’t resist to buy. If you are creating content and hoping that you can break-even on advertising, it’s not going to work out. If you are confident about your content, people will definitely pay for it irrespective of the cost. If you create content that the consumers can’t get anywhere, they will come to you.”