Brands
Iqoo plays its ace, hunts for a gen z gaming guru with Rs 10 lakh bounty
MUMBAI: Hold onto your controllers, Gen Z gamers—Iqoo has decided it’s time to level up your gaming obsessions into something that pays real cash. The tech brand known for smartphones faster than your pizza delivery has now set out to find India’s ultimate gaming pro. The reward? A jaw-dropping Rs 10 lakh. Forget bragging rights; we’re talking serious gamer currency here!
Iqoo has kicked off the epic quest for its 2025 chief gaming officer (CGO), a role packed with more perks than a cheat code. The chosen gaming genius will help co-create new smartphones, steer the brand’s ambitious eSports vision, and hobnob with India’s gaming elite. Sounds better than a power-up mushroom, doesn’t it?
The CGO gets exclusive first dibs on the latest Iqoo gadgets and the chance to represent the brand at epic global gaming events. Better start practising those winning speeches and perfecting your gaming stance—your big break might be just a button-click away.
Iqoo India CEO Nipun Marya says, “We have always believed in the power of India’s gaming community, and the phenomenal response to our previous CGO hunt reaffirmed this. After receiving countless requests from our community, we knew we had to bring it back. At Iqoo, we are committed to empowering young gaming enthusiasts by giving them a platform to step into the eSports industry and shape the future of mobile gaming in India. With CGO as an I.P, we continue to create opportunities for Questers to turn their passion into a profession and be a part of the vision.”
With registrations open on Iqoo India’s website until 30 March 2025, young gamers aged 18-25 are invited to apply for this dream gig. The CGO will not only strategise with Iqoo’s top brass but also interact closely with over two million Questers from Iqoo Connect, the brand’s vibrant community.
The Indian gaming community is exploding like popcorn in a microwave, growing at 14.6 per cent annually from 2018 to 2024, according to IMARC. India now boasts nearly 48 crore gamers—a number larger than some countries’ entire populations!
Iqoo has already made waves, teaming up with gaming legends like Dynamo Gaming, GamerFleet, Mortal, Payal Gaming, Scout, Shreeman Legend, and UnGraduate Gamer. These superstars have stress-tested Iqoo’s devices, ensuring they’re battle-ready for the toughest gaming showdowns.
Brands
Reliance Retail acquires Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s haircare brand Anomaly
India’s biggest retailer bets on clean, vegan haircare as it muscles into the country’s fast-growing beauty market
MUMBAI: Reliance Retail has acquired Anomaly, the global haircare brand founded by actor and entrepreneur Priyanka Chopra Jonas, in a move that hands India’s largest retailer full ownership of one of the more internationally recognised homegrown beauty labels. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The deal covers Anomaly’s trademarks, brand assets and digital properties, giving Reliance Retail complete ownership of the brand’s intellectual property and digital ecosystem. Chopra Jonas, who launched Anomaly in 2021, will stay on as creative director, overseeing innovation, product development and brand vision.
Built on a clean, vegan and high-performance positioning at accessible price points, Anomaly has established an international presence across multiple global markets since its launch. Reliance Retail now plans to scale the brand aggressively through its expansive offline retail network and omnichannel platforms, including Tira, its beauty retail arm. India will be a priority market, with a focus on developing products tailored to Indian hair and scalp needs. The company also has its eye on North America, the United Kingdom and the Middle East.
Isha Ambani, who oversees Reliance Retail’s consumer businesses, was forthright about the strategic logic. “Bringing Anomaly into our portfolio marks a strategic step in expanding our basket of new-age, high-growth beauty brands,” she said. “Anomaly’s strong global positioning, clean formulation philosophy, and accessible pricing make it a compelling addition to our ecosystem.” She added that Reliance saw “immense potential in collaborating with Priyanka to scale the brand in India by leveraging our omnichannel capabilities and deep consumer insights, while continuing to grow its international presence.”
Chopra Jonas framed the acquisition as a milestone rather than an exit. “This is a defining moment for Anomaly,” she said. “What began as a deeply personal journey has grown into a brand with real purpose and global ambition, and Reliance Retail’s acquisition marks an exciting new chapter.” She added that Reliance’s “scale, retail expertise, and commitment to innovation will allow us to bring Anomaly to far more consumers in India and around the world.”
The acquisition slots neatly into Reliance Retail’s broader push into premium and digital-first consumer brands across fashion, beauty and personal care. In a beauty market growing at pace and increasingly receptive to clean, ingredient-conscious formulations, Anomaly gives Reliance a brand with genuine international credibility and a founder whose global profile does the marketing almost by itself. For Chopra Jonas, it means her haircare label gets the retail muscle of India’s most powerful consumer conglomerate behind it. Not a bad chapter two.
