MAM
Bira 91 raises new capital to fuel growth
MUMBAI: Bira 91 has just concluded an equity investment in the company led by its existing investors – Sequoia India and Sofina.
The $30m equity will be utilised by the company to grow its business in India. Last year, the company commissioned two new breweries, one each in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka and quadrupled its production capacity. With the launch of Boom in several markets, the company doubled its national market share in FY 2020 to a little less than three per cent of the overall beer market. The company also expanded its presence to more than 400 cities in FY 20, up from 50 in FY 19.
Speaking on the occasion CEO Ankur Jain said, “We continue to grow our business in both existing and new markets. Our market shares in several markets are now higher than 5 per cent of overall beer, and more than 20 per cent share of premium beer. Along with Boom, our other new launches of Bira 91 IPA with Pomelo and the Malabar Stout have been well received. 2020 is a key inflexion point for the company where we expect to reach double-digit market shares in a number of states throughout the year.”
Led by existing investors Sequoia India and Sofina, the new round also saw participation from Sixth Sense – a leading consumer fund, Neoplux – a Korean private equity fund and several high reputation family offices. The new capital will be utilized to expand India business, expand its India footprint and consolidate its leadership position in the premium beer market in India.
Brands
Nodwin Gaming appoints Sonal Varma as global director of live events
Former Comic Con India VP to scale global gaming and pop culture experiences
MUMBAI: Nodwin Gaming has appointed Sonal Varma as global director of live events, bringing on board a seasoned architect of fan communities as the company accelerates its global push in gaming, esports and youth culture.
Varma steps into the role with more than 15 years of experience creating large-scale fan experiences and cultural platforms. She is best known for her long stint at Comic Con India, where she most recently served as vice president and helped transform the convention into one of the country’s most recognisable pop culture gatherings.
At Nodwin Gaming, Varma will lead the strategy, design and execution of the company’s global live event initiatives. Her mandate includes expanding flagship intellectual properties and developing new formats that bring gaming communities together across emerging markets.
Over the years, Varma has been closely associated with building and scaling community-led events such as Comic Con India, Geekly and the Indian Cosplay Championship. Her work has focused on turning niche fandoms into thriving cultural ecosystems by blending entertainment, creator culture and brand partnerships.
Her appointment comes at a time when Nodwin Gaming is expanding its international events footprint through properties such as DreamHack India, NH7 Weekender, Comic Con India and the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series. The company has also been growing its presence across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa through esports tournaments, gaming festivals and fan conventions.
Nodwin Gaming co-founder and managing director Akshat Rathee, said Varma’s experience in building fan-centric platforms would play a key role in the company’s next phase of growth.
“Sonal brings a deep understanding of how live experiences can bring communities together around gaming and pop culture. As we expand our global live events footprint, her experience will help us create experiences that feel authentic and meaningful for audiences across markets,” he said.
Varma said the scale of opportunity at Nodwin Gaming made the move particularly exciting.
“Joining Nodwin Gaming at this moment feels incredibly exciting because the canvas is so large. There are new audiences, new markets and new formats waiting to be explored. I’m looking forward to working with teams across the network to create live experiences that celebrate gaming culture while staying rooted in the communities that power it,” she said.
Over the past few years, Nodwin Gaming has built an ecosystem that stretches across competitive gaming, creator communities, music festivals and youth culture platforms. With Varma now leading global live events, the company is looking to further expand its flagship properties while experimenting with new formats that blend gaming, entertainment and fandom for audiences around the world.
