Gaming
E – Gaming Federation appoints Anuraag Saxena as the new CEO
Mumbai: E-Gaming Federation (EGF), an organization representing top online skill gaming operators in India announced Anuraag Saxena as its new chief executive officer (CEO), effective 1 November 2023. As the new strategic leader, Anuraag will lead the management and policy advocacy initiatives at EGF and work closely with EGF’s member stakeholders to build a safe, responsible, fair, and transparent environment for the online skill gaming industry.
Anuraag is a nominated member of the National Tourism Advisory Council, a Board member at the Centre for Insolvency and Financial Laws, and has advised corporates and NGOs on their outreach, advocacy, and public affairs. A Chartered Accountant (India) and an MBA (USA), he has spent over two decades with organizations like GE Capital, Prudential Assurance, Deutsche Bank, and Credit Suisse, in senior management and advisory roles.
His strategic acumen, experience with internationalization, diverse knowledge of emerging industries, and deep-rooted understanding of government affairs will be significant in navigating EGF through the ever-changing landscape of the online skill gaming sector. Anuraag’s work has been featured in the Washington Post, BBC, The Diplomat, Times of India, Financial Express, Sunday Guardian, The Organiser, and SPAN.
EGF CEO Anuraag Saxena, said, “The Indian online skill gaming industry is both dynamic and challenging, and there could not be a better time to be in this rapidly evolving sector. We are deeply enthused by the Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi’s clarion call for the AVGC sector to emerge as critical to India’s digital future and economic progress. It is a great time to build the online gaming ecosystem while encouraging responsible gaming. I look forward to working with varied stakeholders and continuing to build on the strong momentum of EGF.”
“We are excited about Anuraag joining EGF and leading the Federation into the next chapter of its development. His strategic knowledge and proven track record of delivering transformation programs make him a formidable force for the organization. With his transformational leadership and credibility as a policy thought leader, EGF is poised to scale up its contribution to the Indian online skill gaming industry,” said EGF secretary Malay Shukla.
In his previous roles, Anuraag has co-founded the world’s largest crowdsourced heritage-recovery platform; and brought the ‘World Toilet Summit’ to partner with the Swacch Bharat initiative in India in partnership with WTO, multilateral agencies, and the Govt. of India.
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.
