iWorld
Global Standards Symposium 2024 concludes, paving way for digital progress
Mumbai: The fifth Global Standards Symposium (GSS-24) wraps up in New Delhi, making history as the first time the event has been held in the Asia-Pacific region. Organised by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and hosted by the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, GSS-24 gathers a record 1,500 policymakers, innovators, and experts to chart the future of digital transformation. The event emphasises the critical role of international standards in enabling emerging technologies to drive sustainable global development.
Minister of state for communications and rural development, Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani delivers a closing address lauding India’s transformation under prime minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. “The standards we establish are more than just technical standards, but they are moral compasses, guiding us towards a future of shared global progress. India is ready to take this journey not alone, but with all of you as partners,” Pemmasani states, advocating for an inclusive, democratic approach to international standards.
The symposium’s theme, “Charting the Next Digital Wave: Emerging Technologies, Innovation, and International Standards,” highlights the need for cohesive, forward-looking governance and standardisation in digital technologies. It serves as a platform for high-level dialogues on crucial issues like AI governance, open-source technologies, blockchain-based authentication, and the impact of AI and the Metaverse on public services.
Union minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia underscores India’s role as a global telecommunications and digital innovation hub. He describes India as “a land of science, innovation, and rules aiding in the prosperity of the world.”
The key discussions focus on bridging the standards gap between developed and developing countries, emphasising equitable access to technology for all. The AI Standards Summit, held as part of GSS-24, illustrates how consensus-based standards can ignite innovation across multiple sectors, driving technological advancements.
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT), CEO, Rajkumar Upadhyay chairs the symposium, marking India’s first time leading the event. The symposium’s outcome document lays the groundwork for discussions at the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA-24), taking place from 15-24 October 2024, in New Delhi.
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.
