Gaming
Google says it prepared to open Play Store gates for real-money gaming in India
MUMBAI: Google has told India’s competition watchdog it is finalising a business model to accommodate the country’s booming real-money gaming (RMG) sector, in a proposal that could see all permissible formats return to the Play Store. The Competition Commission of India (CCI), which is conducting an ongoing antitrust probe, has invited public comments on Google’s plan until 20 August.
All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) chief executive Roland Landers called the move “a timely and welcome step” toward a fairer and more transparent digital ecosystem. He noted that Google’s recognition of certificates issued by self-regulatory bodies such as the All India Skill Gaming Council (AISGC) would “empower responsible operators, support innovation, and ensure a safer experience for Indian consumers.”
The AISGC, chaired by a former supreme court justice, has since 2018 applied a detailed legal and analytical framework to determine whether a game qualifies as one of skill under Indian law.
AIGF, the country’s largest and oldest gaming industry body, said the proposal could lower entry barriers, level the playing field for smaller firms, and boost jobs and digital inclusion. The federation represents more than 120 members, including many MSME startups, who together serve over 40 crore Indian gamers and are collectively valued at more than $10 billion.
If the CCI approves the plan, India’s gaming sector — long hobbled by inconsistent platform policies — could be set for a growth spurt.
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.
