Gaming
Modi collaborates with leading gamers to boost India’s esports industry
Mumbai: In a bid to drive forward the development of India’s burgeoning Esports industry, the country’s notable gaming personalities convened in a groundbreaking dialogue with PM Modi and discussed the growth of the nation.
The roundtable discussion featured Animesh Agarwal (8Bit_Thug), Naman Mathur (Mortal) and Payal Dhare (PayalGaming) of 8BitCreatives, India’s leading gaming influencer management agency alongside Ganesh Gangadhar (SKRossi), Anshu Bisht (GamerFleet), Mithilesh Patankar (MythPat) and Tirth Mehta.
Esports in India has grown from a pastime activity to a new-age ‘multi-sport’ event, officially recognised by the government. The latest FICCI-EY report titled ‘#Reinvent: India’s media & entertainment sector is innovating for the future’, states that participation in Esports tournaments surged to 1.8 million in 2023, across various prominent titles and competitive levels, with an estimated increase to 2.5 million in 2024. Additionally, game streamers witnessed a notable rise in viewership of 20% to 25%, particularly in Tier-II cities.
Sharing his perspective on discussing the exponential growth of Esports in India with the prime minister, 8Bit Creatives founder and co-founder of S8UL & CEO Animesh Agarwal stated, “It was truly an honour to discuss the rapid rise of Esports in India with our prime minister Modi and share our vision about revolutionising the future. I was personally awed at the PM’s understanding of the nuances of the industry, especially when he mentioned that the industry right now needs to grow with support, and not regulation from the government. We also discussed ease of business around gaming and literally voiced our aspirations at the highest possible forum. Gaming is now a mainstream sport and with the government’s support we will be able to take it to the next level.”
S8UL co-founder & CMO of 8Bit Creatives Naman ‘Mortal’ Mathur called the experience surreal and said “Being in the presence of the PM, discussing the topic closest to my heart, was indeed surreal. Who thought I would be playing with the PM & personally walking him through the nuances of one of the games around the theme of Indian mythology. I hope this moment is an inflection point for gaming & esports in India.”
Payal Dhare looked back at the interaction and mentioned “Discussing prospects for female gamers in India with the PM made my journey so much more worthwhile. I realized that he is a great listener, and perfectly paraphrased the difference between esports & gaming content creation, something we now hope everyone will be able to understand. His vision for game development in India around Indian culture, environmental issues, etc is something I felt very strongly about, and I hope it helps take Indian games to the global stage. Thanks to sir for gifting us a lifetime memory.”
8Bit Creatives co-founder Lokesh ‘Goldy’ Jain expressed his pride and said, “This is bound to have outcomes for the industry which I look forward to, but as of now I am focussing on the happiness I am feeling. Having three of my own sit with the PM and discuss gaming & esports, reminds me of why I do what I do. I am completely aligned with the PM’s vision, and hope to work towards it with my team, to the extent we can.”
During the discussion, the gamers delved into various aspects of gaming, including esports, game development, impact on youth, the global presence of India in the industry, and more. The gamers also shared their individual journeys, struggles & wins.
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
