Gaming
FIFS onboards Joy Bhattacharjya as director-general
Mumbai: Self-regulatory industry body for fantasy sports, the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) on Friday announced the appointment of Joy Bhattacharjya as its director-general. In this role, Bhattacharjya will oversee the functioning of the body and work with policymakers and industry stakeholders alike.
The organisation said that he is a well-known figure in the sports & media entertainment industry of the country and can be rightly hailed as the ‘Godfather of Fantasy Sports in India.’ From designing India’s first ever fantasy sports game – the Super Selector for ESPN Star Sports, to coming onboard FIFS – it is a perfect synergy, said FIFS.
He also runs the Prime Volleyball League and is a cricket analyst with Cricbuzz. As Fifa U-17 World Cup 2017 project director he delivered the most attended and successful junior tournament in the history of FIFA.
In his earlier roles he has held the position of Kolkata Knight Riders team director and History & National Geographic as head of programming – South Asia. He was also the first Indian head of production at ESPN Star Sports. He is an avid writer, having written for the likes of TOI, India Today, BBC, The Telegraph and the Hindustan Times, has a regular quiz column with the Hindu Business Line and also writes on sport for the Economic Times.
FIFS chairman Bimal Julka said, “Happy to have Joy Bhattacharjya join FIFS as the director-general. FIFS will benefit from his sports expertise and knowledge of fantasy sports.”
Bhattacharjya added, “I am elated to be a part of the next stage of development of Fantasy Sports in the country. It’s a homecoming for me in a way, from launching the Super Selector in 2000, to now leading FIFS – India’s only SRO for Fantasy Sports. I look forward to working with the FIFS members and the stakeholders at large and help FIFS identify the landscape and potential for India to be the global leader in the fantasy sports sector.”
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.
