iWorld
Pocket FM raises the audio ‘Baahu-volume’ with new 250-episode epic
MUMBAI: If you thought the Baahubali universe had revealed all its secrets, Pocket FM is here to turn the volume back up. The audio entertainment platform has teamed up with Arka Mediaworks, the creative home of S.S. Rajamouli’s cinematic phenomenon, to bring an all-new original Baahubali story alive this time through sound, imagination and a mammoth 250-episode audio saga.
Announced on the 10th anniversary of the blockbuster franchise, the series marks the first time Maahishmathi will be rebuilt entirely for the ears. Set within the same sweeping universe but following a brand-new narrative arc, the epic will release in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, offering loyal fans and first-time listeners a fresh gateway into India’s most iconic fantasy world.
Pocket FM promises a production that mirrors cinematic scale complete with atmospheric music, painstaking sound design and richly textured performances. The idea is not just to hear Baahubali’s world, but feel its armour clashes, palace intrigue, distant war drums and emotional heft.
“Baahubali is a cultural milestone, and bringing that universe into audio is both a privilege and a creative challenge,” said Pocket FM co-founder and CEO Rohan Nayak. He added that the platform’s belief that “imagination is the most powerful screen” shapes this collaboration, designed to give listeners a visceral connection to Maahishmathi.
For Arka Mediaworks, the project extends a world they’ve been nurturing for a decade. “Growing the Baahubali universe has always been intentional,” noted Arka Mediaworks co-founder Shobu Yarlagadda. “The audio series comes from the same place as the films rooted, engaging storytelling. I hope listeners enjoy this new chapter.”
The partnership also marks a strategic leap in Pocket FM’s IP-led expansion. After successes like Shaktimaan Returns, the platform is now positioning itself as the home for India’s biggest fantasy franchises reimagined for audio-first storytelling.
With this collaboration, Baahubali doesn’t just retur, it evolves, setting the tone for how India’s most loved legends can be retold, rediscovered and re-experienced in entirely new ways. The kingdom of Maahishmathi may no longer be on screen, but in the theatre of the mind, it’s about to roar again.
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.
