ITV

Tag: Prashanth Prakash

  • JetSynthesys announces first franchise ownership for GEPL season two

    JetSynthesys announces first franchise ownership for GEPL season two

    Mumbai: JetSynthesys, a digital entertainment and tech company, has announced the first franchise ownership for season two of the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL). Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, Curefoods founder Ankit Nagori, and Accel partner Prashanth Prakash will co-own the Bengaluru franchise.

    Last year’s tournament drew 200,000 registrations and selected the top 64 players for eight teams. The final showdown took place in JetSynthesys’ Real Cricket video game, streamed on JioCinema, with over 1.1 million minutes viewed and a reach of 70 million-plus.

    JetSynthesys CEO and founder Rajan Navani expressed his enthusiasm about these developments, “We are thrilled to welcome Nikhil Kamath, Ankit Nagori, and Prashant Prakash to the GEPL family. Their involvement is a testament to the growing recognition of e-cricket as a mainstream sport. With an expanded team format and new league guidelines, we are set to elevate the competitive spirit and excitement to new heights globally.”

    The new team owners also shared their excitement about joining the league.

    Kamath remarked, “The gaming industry is incredibly exciting right now, especially with how fast things are moving in India. We’ve reached a point where we’re not just participating in global gaming—we’re creating esportable games for the world. Real Cricket is a prime example of that. Partnering with Rajan and JetSynthesys for the Global e-Cricket Premier League is a good opportunity to help foster and inspire young talent in this dynamic space. I’m keen to see what we can achieve together and to play a role in shaping the future of esports in India.”

    Nagori added, “I’m truly passionate about the video gaming industry and excited about the vision JetSynthesys has for taking cricket to the world as India’s premier esport. This is my way of giving back and supporting the next generation of gamers. I believe in their potential, and I’m here to help them shine in a space that’s evolving so quickly. Together, I believe we can turn gaming into the next big contributor to India GDP, and also a fulfilling career for many talented individuals.”

    Prakash stated, “I’m thrilled to be part of the Global e-Cricket Premier League and to contribute to the growth of esports in India. This partnership with JetSynthesys aligns perfectly with my passion for innovation and my belief in the potential of cricket as a global esport. Together, we can create a vibrant ecosystem that empowers aspiring gamers and showcases their talent on an international stage.”

    GEPL CEO & league commissioner Rohit Potphode enthused on the occasion, “We’re excited to welcome Nikhil Kamath, Ankit Nagori, and Prashant Prakash as our franchise team owners for this thrilling season. This year, the league promises to be bigger than ever, uniting players, franchise owners, fans, and sponsors to create immense value and deliver unforgettable experiences for everyone involved.”

    This year’s upgrades aim to boost competition within GEPL while creating jobs in esports sectors like event management, broadcasting, and talent management. The league offers competitive salaries to top players, turning their passion for gaming into viable careers as they compete for the title of ‘e-Cricket Icon’ on a global stage.

    With the GEPL S2 finals set for January 2025, the tournament continues to blend cricket, gaming, esports, and entertainment, offering a platform for emerging esports talent to showcase their skills in eCricket.

  • News18 Kannada’s ‘Rising Karnataka’ – a gateway to conversations shaping the state’s future

    News18 Kannada’s ‘Rising Karnataka’ – a gateway to conversations shaping the state’s future

    Mumbai: News18 Kannada proudly announces ‘Rising Karnataka’ an initiative aimed at fostering thought leadership and critical conversations within the state. The event will take place on 25 November 2023, at 4 pm at the Conrad Bengaluru. ‘Rising Karnataka’ promised to bring together eminent decision-makers, leaders, and orators to explore the potential of Karnataka.

    Mentioned below are the key sessions and panels to be included at the event –

    Karnataka Model – Chief Minister of Karnataka Sidhramaiah, will share insights about the state model, which will be followed by a detailed question and answer session.

    Brand Bengaluru – The panel will consist of distinguished panelists that include deputy chief minister of Karnataka DK Shivakumar; actor Dr. Shivarajkumar & Karnataka State Vision Group chairman & Accel founding partner Prashanth Prakash who will be discussing the essence of Brand Bengaluru.

    Kannada for the next 50 years – featuring music composer Raghu Dixit; Banavasi Balaga president Anand G; and actor Daali Dhananjay this session will delve into the future of Kannada language and culture.

    Women in the development of the State – The panel consists of notable figures such as Minister of Women and Child Development  Lakshmi Hebbalkar; actress Ranjani Raghavan; and Airra Academy Founder & Chairman Amitha Prakash who will be discussing the role of women in shaping Karnataka’s future.

    Faith & spirituality in the Development of the State: Shri Shri Nirmalananda Swamiji from Adichunchanagiri Mutt will be seen providing insights on the spiritual dimension of Karnataka’s development

    Future Karnataka Panel: Priyank Kharge, Minister of IT-BT, Rural Development, and Panchayat Raj, Rohit MA , co-founder & director, Cloudnine group of Hospitals and Vivekananda H R, co-founder & CEO, Bounce will lead discussions on the future trajectory of Karnataka

    News18 Kannada ‘Rising Karnataka’ initiative has welcomed stakeholders such as KASSIA, the Retail Association of Karnataka, the Hotel Association of Karnataka, bureaucrats, and members of FKCCI.

    Join News18 Kannada ‘Rising Karnataka’ at Conrad Bengaluru on 25 November at 4 pm for a day of insightful conversations, innovation, and a glimpse into what the future holds for Karnataka.

  • Network18, SAIF and Accel invest Rs 150 crore in BookMyshow

    Network18, SAIF and Accel invest Rs 150 crore in BookMyshow

    MUMBAI: The holding company of one of India’s leading online entertainment ticketing companies BookMyShow, Bigtree Entertainment has received a shot in the arm. The company’s existing investors Network18 and Accel Partners and its new investor SAIF Partners have together invested Rs 150 crore in the company.

     

    With this round of financing, the company is looking at increasing its penetration outside tier I cities, build its infrastructure and expand its offering in order to take customer experience to the next level. Avendus Capital was the sole financial advisor and BMR Legal was the legal advisor for this transaction.

    On signing the deal, BookMyShow founder and CEO Ashish Hemrajani said, “We are very happy to have SAIF Partners as our latest investors. The common vision of creating scalable and large businesses was aligned to our thought process. Their experience of having helped companies such as MakeMyTrip and Just Dial go public would be of immense value to us as we move forward in our growth plans. We are also very happy to have delivered value to our existing investors and the fact that both Network18 and Accel have further invested in this round, shows their confidence in the company and the ability of the team to continue delivering and innovating.”

     

    Commenting on the transaction, SAIF Partners MD Deepak Gaur said, “We are delighted to participate in this exciting journey of bringing world class convenience to consumers across entertainment verticals that BookMyShow offers. We are confident that with the current round of capital raise, BookMyShow team will continue to strengthen the relentless focus on innovation, customer service and technology as our country takes rapid strides in internet penetration.”

     

    Accel India partner Prashanth Prakash added, “As an industry leader, BookMyShow continues to set the agenda when it comes to movie and event experiences in India. We look forward to supporting the team in continuing to enhance value for their customers and realising the potential of becoming the default destination for consumers’ entertainment needs.”

     

    Commenting on the transaction, Capital 18 MD Sarbvir Singh said, “BookMyShow has emerged as the country’s leading entertainment ticketing destination. The company continues to attract high pedigree investors and with SAIF Partners joining Accel Partners and Network18, the BookMyShow team will be able to further enhance customer experience and market leadership. We were happy to participate in the transaction and look forward to the next phase of the BookMyShow journey.”

     

    A release from the company states that it gets more than 35 million visits and 500 million page views approximately and has sold more than 10 crore tickets till date. It has also re-launched a mobile app to facilitate ticketing in India and an additional 20 cities have been covered by adding new cinemas. BookMyShow now has a presence in over 200 cities and is trying to further penetrate the single screen cinema segment in each of these markets. 

     

    BookMyShow was the exclusive online ticketing partner for the ICC T-20 Championship in Bangladesh. The company is also the exclusive ticketing partner for many IPL teams which include Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan Royals, Hyderabad Sun Risers, Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. It also manages ticketing for IPL central rights along with accreditations. The other sport events for which BookmyShow has been the exclusive online ticketing partner are; Chennai Open Tennis championship, Super Fight League and Yonex Badminton.