iWorld
Moneycontrol Pro acquires 1.5 lakh paid subscribers within a year of launch
MUMBAI: When Network18’s business news website, Moneycontrol, launched its paid service in April 2019, it did not expect that by 31 March 2020 its Moneycontrol Pro service will have acquired 1.5 lakh members.
“Moneycontrol Pro's success is very encouraging because it tells us there is a discerning public willing to pay for top-notch commentary, insights and analyses that help them to take informed investment decisions,” said Moneycontrol group consulting editor Manas Chakravarty.
Moneycontrol Pro’s aim is to serve readers with actionable insights into the stock markets, businesses, industries, economy and vital indicators to understand to help with their financial decisions. A survey commissioned in February found that 85 per cent users gave a thumbs up to the product and content.
Moneycontrol business head B2C revenues Manoj Nagpal said, “The subscription growth is a reflection of the trust and the value-added content subscribers are getting, adding that Moneycontrol Pro has been able to keep evolving in the past year and enriching the user experience. Keeping subscriber needs at the core of the offering and surpassing user expectations have been the driver of growth for Pro. Adding value to an astute Moneycontrol user is not an easy task, as it is arguably one of the most discerning and value audience in India.”
The company claims that the essence of Pro is high-quality content and constant product innovations. Moneycontrol offers a promise that its content -investment ideas from the in-house research team, sharp commentary and opinion that decodes a fast-changing economy, exclusive blogs are written by high-net worth individuals and market gurus – will not be found anywhere else.
By becoming a Moneycontrol Pro subscriber, a user gets access to technical analysis trading ideas from a hand-picked team of experts, a daily newsletter and a weekly wrap that makes sense of the biggest financial events. In addition, Pro subscribers can also unlock an ad-free experience on the app and desktop as well as perks, such as invites to exclusive events and offers for attending big-ticket conferences and seminars.
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.
