iWorld
Josh and SVF Entertainment enter strategic alliance
Mumbai: Short video app Josh has inked a strategic partnership with East Indian media and entertainment company SVF. The collaboration paves the way for the creation of short video content from Bengali influencers and celebrities on the Josh app, said the statement.
SVF will enable the production of more regional content by Bengali talent on the short video app Josh with the aim to empower regional creators. SVF will additionally extend its vast Bengali music library of SVF Music ranging from Bengali films, web series, and hit singles from popular artists from India and Bangladesh. This wide range of songs can be accessed by Josh’s 115+ million-strong user base.
The partnership was announced on the eve of 25 October and was graced by hoichoi co-founder and executive director of SVF Vishnu Mohta; Josh head – creator and content ecosystem Sunder Venketraman, and VerSe Innovation chief marketing officer Samir Vora.
“Josh and SVF, with the similar intention to create a wider content building ambiance in Bengal, is certain that this partnership will enable a lot of talents to create short format content in their regional language with advanced and easy to use video making features,” said Vishnu Mohta.
“We at SVF, are delighted to have this avant-garde partnership that will not only enhance the scope of content innovation but also recognise the local talents, thereby supporting the overall growth of the industry,” said hoichoi co-founder and director of SVF Mahendra Soni. “The SVF-Josh tie-up is all poised to make Bengali music library available to all creators across the country, opening up the paradigm beyond mainstream content visibility.”
“SVF Entertainment is a leader in the Eastern Indian content space and we, at Josh are very excited to have brought this partnership to life that will revolutionise the space of content creation in Bengali language,” said Sunder Venketraman and Samir Vora.
“We believe that our app will prove to be the perfect destination for budding Bengali creators to share their talent across audiences– bringing visibility to themselves and the plethora of invigorating content that Eastern India has to offer,” they added.
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.
