iWorld
ALT Digital hires Viacom18’s Ekalavya Bhattacharya as chief strategy officer
MUMBAI: Balaji Telefilms’ digital arm ALT Digital Media Entertainment has brought on board Ekalavya Bhattacharya as chief strategy officer.
Prior to this, Bhattacharya was with Viacom18 as AVP and head – digital for MTV India, where he was responsible for expanding the channel’s digital footprint.
He will work closely with the company’s leadership team to define the corporate strategy for ensuring wider acceptability and success of ALT’s digital initiatives.
Balaji Telefilms group CEO Sameer Nair said, “Ekalavya comes with very strong pedigree having done some amazing work at MTV in building their digital business. We believe his disruptive attitude and business smarts are a wonderful addition to the eclectic diversity in the fast growing ALT Digital Team.”
ALT Digital Media Entertainment CEO Nachiket Pantvaidya added, “We welcome Ekalavya to ALT – his experience and diverse skill sets will help us formulate and drive our strategy across our business operations. He will enrich the already strong team at ALT as we prepare to launch our service in India and globally.”
Bhattacharya said, “Recent digital consumption patterns have made it necessary to introduce changes in the way content is created and offered to consumers and screenagers. As India’s leading production studio, Balaji Telefilms is in a unique position to utilise its creative capabilities for a digitally savvy audience. I am glad to be a part of ALT that stands for the alternate – alternate content and alternate screens.”
Bhattacharya brings with him more than a decade of experience in the digital space and has previously worked at digital firms like Zapak.com, Contests2Win.com, WAT Consult and PaGaLGuY.com.
Gaming
Nodwin Gaming partners with Runestone for esports data and integrity solutions
South Asian esports leader joins forces with Czech tech firm to enhance tournament operations.
MUMBAI: Nodwin Gaming has just levelled up its game by bringing in a specialist to keep the scoreboard honest and the fans fully engaged. The leading South Asian esports and gaming company has announced a strategic partnership with Runestone, a Prague-headquartered esports technology firm specialising in real-time data and engagement solutions for tournament organisers and publishers.
The collaboration aims to strengthen competitive integrity, improve operational oversight, and deliver more interactive viewing experiences across Nodwin’s properties. It will initially focus on the Nodwin Clutch Series for Counter-Strike 2, a Tier 2 tournament that provides emerging teams with consistent competitive opportunities and helps build the talent pipeline.
The latest edition of the series recently concluded with Big defeating ECSTATIC 2–1 in the grand final of the $50,000 online event.
Nodwin Gaming chief business officer at MENA and global head of data monetization Teemu Koski said, “Integrity and transparency are fundamental to sustainable esports ecosystems, especially in Tier 2 competition where the next generation of talent emerges. Runestone’s expertise complements our experience in building scalable esports IPs.”
Runestone head of partnerships Michael Schwartz added, “Nodwin Gaming has built one of the most dynamic esports ecosystems across emerging markets. We’re thrilled to collaborate on supporting tournaments with greater transparency, deeper fan interaction, and scalable tools.”
Both companies are exploring opportunities to extend the partnership across additional titles, including mobile-first competitive ecosystems, and to develop new products for publishers, tournament operators, and event promoters.
In the rapidly growing world of esports, where fair play and fan excitement are equally crucial, Nodwin Gaming and Runestone are teaming up to ensure every match is not only competitive but also transparent and engaging. This alliance could well become a game-changer for Tier 2 tournaments across South Asia and beyond.
