Gaming
Scoop, score, chill repeat as Mother Dairy drops into esports arena
MUMBAI: When the heat is on and the stakes are high, a scoop of calm can go a long way. And this summer, it came with sprinkles of glory and a side of gaming grit. Mother Dairy has officially levelled up. In a sizzling first, the iconic dairy brand dipped into the world of esports with the Mother Dairy Chillz Cup, a high-octane gaming tournament hosted in partnership with Rooter, India’s largest game streaming and commerce platform. With 64 top teams and over 2,000 gamers facing off in an epic Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) showdown, it wasn’t just about victory, it was about staying cool while doing it.
And that’s where the magic happened. As players braved virtual crossfire and tactical pressure, Mother Dairy’s ice creams emerged as the real MVPs, cooling the nerves with indulgent favourites like Banoffee Pie, Pina Colada, Filter Coffee Cone, and the ever-quirky Choconado. It was a gaming-meets-gastronomy experience like no other.
The final clash on May 11, 2025, wasn’t just a gaming finale, it was a festival of fandom. Crowds cheered, creators scooped up frozen delights, and elite teams like iqoo Soul, Godlike, and Revenant X Spark brought their A-game in front of roaring fans.
Speaking about the collaboration, Mother Dairy Spokesperson said, “Ice creams are all about excitement and fun. We are thrilled to partner with Rooter for the Mother Dairy Chillz Cup, marking our entry into the dynamic and fast-growing world of esports. This association enables us to connect with a younger audience through a platform that thrives on energy, engagement, and innovation. The Chillz Cup truly embodies our brand’s youthful spirit and commitment to delivering the coolest experiences.”
Rooter founder and CEO Piyush said “We’ve always believed in creating meaningful partnerships that bring value to both the gaming community and our brand partners. The Chillz Cup was a great example of how a legacy brand like Mother Dairy could connect with a digital-first audience in their native environment, making it a fun, and memorable experience. The Chillz Cup captured the cool spirit of gaming staying calm under pressure and outplaying rivals with a cool head just like enjoying a scoop of ice-cold Mother Dairy Ice Cream on a hot day. We are proud to collaborate on a campaign that celebrates high-performance gaming while adding an element of summer joy to the esports experience”
From frosty cones to fiery comebacks, the Chillz Cup didn’t just serve scoops, it served up a new era of brand storytelling in gaming. And with esports now firmly on Mother Dairy’s menu, the summer just got a whole lot cooler.
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.
