Gaming
Krafton India levels up with new batch of gaming startups
MUMBAI: Krafton India is doubling down on its mission to shape the future of gaming in the subcontinent, welcoming a cracking cohort of six new startups into the second round of its Krafton India Gaming Incubator (Kigi). Building on the roaring success of its first batch, Kigi has upped its intake from four to six, casting its net wider to exciting new gaming hotspots like Kolkata and Madurai, among others. This move reinforces their grand plan to cultivate a nationwide ecosystem of top-tier game developers.
Kigi is throwing its weight behind emerging game development talent in India with mentorship programmes lasting from six months to a year, and a financial boost of up to $150,000. This aims to give these studios the firepower they need to craft best-in-class games and inject some serious innovation into the industry.
So, who are these bright sparks joining the fray?
* Kleanup Games from Madurai, led by studio director Jaiwanth Shanmugam, is cooking up ChromadiI, a rapid, retro-inspired shoot-’em-up with a rather clever colour-mixing mechanic and a focus on bagging those high scores. With original tunes from audio director Niranjan Nair and production by Nandini Nachiar, this game looks set to blend old-school arcade thrills with a modern twist, slated for a 2026 release.
* Advaita Interactive, hailing from Kolkata and founded by Judhajit Sarkar, is brewing Inspectorium, a hidden object detective game set in a steampunk-infused version of Victorian-era Calcutta. Expect episodic cases, real-time AI interrogations, and some proper immersive puzzle-solving. This one’s aiming for mobile, PC, and VR platforms between 2025 and 2026.
* Singular Scheme, a Mumbai-founded indie outfit led by Ahad Oomerbhoy and a team of eight, is crafting Frontier Paladin, an RPG with action-tower defence bits set on a cursed battlefield brimming with divine relics and ancient baddies. Sounds like a proper rumble!
* Smash Head Studio, a Bangalore-based crew with over a decade in the game, is gearing up to unleash Cricket Rivals, a fast-paced, real-time multiplayer mobile game that’s reimagining the spirit of cricket with quick, competitive matches designed to appeal to a global audience. That’s not cricket… it’s better!
* Unwind Games, a mobile studio from Hyderabad founded by industry veterans Jayant Shukla and Khozema Abuwala, is developing BaoBao’s Journey, a heartwarming casual puzzle game starring a lovable panda on a quest to build his dream mountain lodge. Expect soothing puzzles and cozy customization for a relaxing and emotionally engaging experience. Aww, bless!
* Ginger Games, a Delhi-based studio founded in 2024 by Shrey Mishra, Sumit Batheja, and Piyush Kumar, is conjuring up Monkey Mayhem, a vibrant hybrid-casual action-adventure mobile game set in the bonkers “Monkey Universe.” Featuring fast-paced auto-shooter gameplay, dynamic environments, crafting, combat, and a rich story following a brave monkey named Piklu on a chaotic mission to rescue his mates. Keep your bananas peeled for its February 2026 release.
This new batch of Kigi hopefuls follows the successful completion of its first incubation cycle, where several gaming startups, spanning the length and breadth of India, wrapped up their development phases and are now prepping to officially launch their KIGI-built games.
The first Kigi cohort is already making waves. ReDimension Games is live on Steam, while Shura Games and Dunali Games have successfully soft-launched their titles on the Play Store. Arjuna Studios is also gearing up for its own release. Their progress is a proper testament to Kigi’s mission to empower India’s next generation of game developers, giving them the tools, guidance, and support needed to bring world-class games to the market.
Krafton India incubator program and India publishing advisor Anuj Sahani said, “India’s game development talent is brimming with potential, and at Kigi we are dedicated to unlocking new opportunities for them to thrive. With an expanded cohort, a wider regional focus, and strengthened partnerships with some of the biggest names in technology, we are equipping game developers with the resources, mentorship, and support they need to build games that can stand out globally. We look forward to seeing how these talented teams push creative and technical boundaries in the coming months.”
Krafton India chief executive officer Sean Hyunil Sohn added, “At Krafton India, we see the future of gaming as a vibrant tapestry woven with diverse ideas and bold creativity. Gaming is more than just a form of entertainment, it’s a tool for connection, expression, and cultural influence. By empowering diverse voices and championing innovation, with our second cohort, we’re setting the stage for a future where Indian game developers are defining trends, telling new stories, and pushing the boundaries of what gaming can be.”
AccelByte chief commercial officer Rob Schoeppe chipped in, “Partnering with Krafton India’s Kigi program is a natural extension of our mission at AccelByte to empower developers with the tools they need to stay focused on making great and exceptional games. India’s gaming landscape is evolving rapidly, and we see immense potential in the talent and innovation emerging from this market. Through Kigi, we’re excited to support the next wave of Indian game studios by providing them with scalable, developer-friendly backend solutions that remove technical hurdles and accelerate their path to success.”
By strategically spotting and nurturing these high-potential studios, Kigi is well on its way to shaping India’s growth as a proper powerhouse in the global game development and innovation scene. The second cohort is getting a leg up from an expanded network of global tech giants like AWS, AccelByte, AppMagic, and Liftoff’s GameRefinery, ensuring these incubated startups get crucial cloud computing power, backend infrastructure, and expert guidance to develop and scale cracking gaming experiences for the world stage. Game on, India!
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.
