Gaming
30,000+ people attended India’s creator fest ‘Stanfest2024’
Mumbai: Stan platform organised “Stanfest 2024” on 24 November in Phoenix Palassio mall, bringing together India’s top 200+ creators, 30,000+ attendees, gaming enthusiasts, and fans in a one-of-a-kind gaming and creator event.
The event witnessed top creators and their die-hard fans (Stans), concluding on a high note and making Lucknow the new star in the gaming industry. The Stanfest witnessed a footfall of 30,000+ Fans and brought together top creators and gaming enthusiasts under one roof creating a sense of excitement. Among the key highlights was the participation of popular gaming and lifestyle creators and social media influencers, like Ashish Chanchalani, Fukra Insaan, Round2Hell, UK07 Rider, Mortal, Anurag Dwivedi, Shayar, Chill Gamer, Achanak Bhayanak Gaming and many gaming influencers, and more.
At Stanfest, CEO Parth Chadha revealed that the platform has now empowered over 500,000 creators. He also highlighted that the app’s early monetization features have enabled creators to collectively earn over $1 million in just the past six months. Stan is quickly establishing itself as a leading force in driving innovation and growth within the creator economy.
The event enabled the fans to meet their favourite creators, interact, capture moments and create unforgettable memories. It also offered Esports LAN tournaments, gaming awards, live music shows and other performances. The Cosplay section showcased award-winning artists bringing gaming characters to life. The crowd enjoyed a rousing live music performance bringing the night to a close.
“Engaging with such an enthusiastic and vibrant audience was an absolute thrill! I’m truly grateful for the warm welcome in Lucknow. I would like to thank the STAN team for making this experience unforgettable. Seeing all fans together is always an amazing experience. Looking forward to more moments like this!”says Ashish Chanchlani.
Different arenas with interactive experiences were enabled during the fest including custom games in BGMI and Free Fire and other mini games and a club-style gaming experience were also available. The event was full of fun and excitement, with activities like meet-and-greet sessions and mini-games. Participants could win prizes worth Rs 25 lakh, including big rewards like a Royal Enfield Bullet and a Mahindra Thar.
Speaking about the event, the co-founder & COO Nauman Mulla said, “ It was indeed a pleasure to receive so much love from Lucknow. We are elated to share that we have organised India’s biggest creator meet up in India with 200 + creators that has never been seen before in India but we finally made it happen . Stanfest is a major milestone for us, bringing together the brightest creators in a way that reflects the rapid growth of our community. This has been the largest yet, and we’re excited to introduce new experiences that will set the tone for the future of gaming and content creation in India.”
Gaming
Dream Sports sees 100 plus exits after gaming ban forces overhaul
Company splits into eight units as real money gaming law hits revenue.
MUMBAI: For a company built on fantasy leagues, reality has suddenly rewritten the rulebook. More than 100 employees have exited Dream Sports, the parent of Dream11, after the company reorganised its operations following India’s ban on real money online gaming. The shake up came after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 came into force in August 2025, prohibiting games where users deposit money expecting winnings. The regulation struck at the heart of the fantasy gaming industry and dramatically affected Dream Sports’ core business, wiping out about 95 percent of its revenue and all of its profits.
In response, the Mumbai based company shifted into what chief executive officer Harsh Jain described as “startup mode”, splitting its operations into eight independent business units in December.
Around 700 employees were reassigned across these newly formed ventures based on their experience and interests. However, roughly 15 percent opted to leave the company.
A spokesperson for Dream Sports said many of those who exited were experienced professionals accustomed to running scaled businesses rather than early stage ventures.
“Since some of these employees were experienced with running high scale businesses and not startups, around 15 percent chose to leave and join other scaled companies or start ventures of their own,” the spokesperson said.
Despite the departures, the company noted that the attrition rate is only slightly higher than its earlier level of around 10 percent before the ban. Dream Sports now has close to 950 employees and is not currently hiring, choosing instead to focus on stabilising its existing workforce.
The restructuring has transformed Dream Sports from a fantasy gaming company into a broader sports entertainment platform. The eight units now operate independently, each focusing on different segments of the sports and technology ecosystem.
These include Dream11, sports streaming platform Fancode, sports travel service DreamSetGo, mobile game Dream Cricket and artificial intelligence initiative Dream Sports AI, which includes sports analytics platform Dream Play.
Other ventures include fintech product Dream Money, open source initiative Dream Horizon and the philanthropic arm Dream Sports Foundation.
As part of cost saving efforts, Dream Sports also relocated its headquarters from Bandra Kurla Complex to Worli earlier this year. The new office, called Dream Sports Stadium, brings teams from its various brands together under one roof to improve collaboration and operational efficiency.
Jain had earlier said the company removed bonus lock in timelines for employees hired in recent years, allowing those who wished to leave to exit with pro rata payouts.
“We want people who are fully into the startup mode and willing to work for it, and we will share that reward if it comes,” he said.
Founded in 2008 by Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth, Dream Sports was last valued at 8 billion dollars after raising 840 million dollars in 2021 from investors including Falcon Edge Capital, DST Global, D1 Capital Partners, RedBird Capital Partners, Tiger Global Management, TPG and Footpath Ventures.
The new gaming law has forced several companies in the fantasy gaming sector to either shut down or pivot their business models, signalling a significant reset for one of India’s fastest growing digital entertainment industries.
