Gaming
Bandai Namco doubles down on SuperGaming investment
MUMBAI: Bandai Namco Entertainment has hit the “continue” button on its investment in SuperGaming, one of India’s leading game studios, reinforcing its belief in the country’s booming gaming scene. The Japanese publisher behind legendary titles like Elden Ring, Dark Souls, One Piece, and Pac-Man has made an additional investment in SuperGaming through its startup fund 021, which was launched in 2022 to fuel new entertainment experiences and expand its global footprint.
While the exact investment amount remains undisclosed, the 021 fund typically backs startups with capital ranging from 10 million to 500 million yen ($75,000 to $3.75 million). India, along with Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, has been identified as a key growth market for Bandai Namco’s strategic expansion.
“Bandai Namco doubling down on their investment is a strong vote of confidence in our mission and our team to build world-class games and gaming infrastructure from India for India and the world,” said SuperGaming, CEO & co-founder, Roby John.
Founded in 2019, SuperGaming has gained recognition for popular mobile titles like Silly Royale, Tower Conquest, and MaskGun. The company has also developed SuperPlatform, a cloud-based live-ops game development engine that helps developers seamlessly manage and scale their games. Bandai Namco is already a customer, using SuperPlatform to power its official PAC-MAN mobile game, which has over one billion downloads.
SuperGaming’s biggest recent success is Indus Battle Royale, a made-in-India battle royale game set in an Indo-futuristic universe. Since its October 2024 launch, Indus has amassed over six million downloads and currently holds a 4.0-star rating on Google Play and 4.2 stars on the App Store.
Bandai Namco’s continued investment follows an initial funding round in March 2023, during which SuperGaming impressed with its rapid growth, deep player engagement, and commitment to high-quality game development. With backing from major investors including Akatsuki Entertainment Technology Fund, Skycatcher, BAce Capital, and Dream Incubator SuperGaming is quickly establishing itself as a force to be reckoned with in India’s gaming landscape.
As Bandai Namco presses forward with its India strategy, SuperGaming looks set to play at a whole new level bringing innovative, culturally rich gaming experiences to players at home and beyond.
Gaming
Bluestone FY26 revenue rises to Rs 2,436 crore, turns profitable
Q4 profit at Rs 31 crore, full-year profit at Rs 13 crore vs loss last year.
MUMBAI: From sparkle to numbers, Bluestone seems to be polishing more than just jewellery this year. Bluestone Jewellery and Lifestyle Limited reported a sharp turnaround in FY26, with revenue from operations rising to Rs 2,436 crore (Rs 24,364 million), up from Rs 1,770 crore (Rs 17,700 million) in FY25. The company posted a full-year profit of Rs 13 crore (Rs 131.79 million), a significant recovery from a loss of Rs 222 crore (Rs 2,218 million) a year ago.
Total income for the year stood at Rs 2,486 crore (Rs 24,860 million), compared to Rs 1,830 crore (Rs 18,300 million) in the previous year, reflecting both topline growth and improved operational momentum.
The March quarter, however, told a more nuanced story. Revenue from operations came in at Rs 681 crore (Rs 6,814 million), down from Rs 748 crore (Rs 7,486 million) in the year-ago period, though higher than Rs 461 crore (Rs 4,613 million) in the preceding December quarter. Net profit for Q4 stood at Rs 31 crore (Rs 311.81 million), compared to Rs 68 crore (Rs 688 million) a year earlier, but a clear reversal from a loss of Rs 51 crore (Rs 512 million) in Q3.
Margins were shaped by higher input costs, with raw material consumption rising to Rs 2,204 crore (Rs 22,043 million) for the full year, alongside employee benefit expenses of Rs 282 crore (Rs 2,824 million) and finance costs of Rs 210 crore (Rs 2,104 million). Other expenses came in at Rs 371 crore (Rs 3,715 million), slightly lower than Rs 393 crore (Rs 3,938 million) in FY25.
On the balance sheet front, total assets expanded to Rs 4,961 crore (Rs 49,610 million) as of March 31, 2026, from Rs 3,532 crore (Rs 35,322 million) a year earlier, driven largely by a surge in inventories to Rs 2,672 crore (Rs 26,718 million). Equity also strengthened to Rs 1,803 crore (Rs 18,030 million), nearly doubling from Rs 911 crore (Rs 9,107 million).
Cash flows reflected the cost of growth. Net cash used in operating activities stood at Rs 199 crore (Rs 1,990 million), while investing activities saw an outflow of Rs 239 crore (Rs 2,392 million). Financing activities, however, generated Rs 497 crore (Rs 4,971 million), helping the company end the year with cash and cash equivalents of Rs 108 crore (Rs 1,075 million), up from Rs 49 crore (Rs 487 million).
Earnings per share for FY26 came in at Rs 1.10, a sharp improvement from a negative Rs 79.74 in FY25, underlining the shift from losses to profitability.
With revenue scaling up, costs still glittering on the higher side, and profitability finally back in the black, BlueStone’s FY26 performance suggests a business mid-transition less about shine alone, and more about sustaining it.
