Gaming
Esports will be new path to Olympic glory after Paris campaign
Mumbai: Esports moved from being just a hobby or leisure activity after gaining official recognition as a multi-sport event by the Government of India in December 2022. The sport has emerged as one of the fastest-growing sectors in India, attracting millions of players and viewers and generating significant revenue.
Esports has also gained acceptance in prestigious international competitions, where Indian athletes not only participated but made a significant impact. In a country still finding its place on the global stage, securing a bronze medal in DOTA 2 at the Commonwealth Esports Championships and reaching the quarterfinals to secure a fifth-place finish in League of Legends at the Asian Games against top teams is a notable achievement.
Now, India has the opportunity to build on this success at the Olympic level. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently entered into a 12-year partnership with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia, announcing that the inaugural Olympic Esports Games will be held in 2025.
As the nation observes National Sports Day to honour hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand and highlight the importance of participation in sports, it is essential to recognize the modern-day discipline of esports. Now part of the Olympics, it has the potential to produce its heroes who can lead India to glory on the global stage.
India’s performance at the Paris Olympics, where the country secured six medals, highlighted its strength in traditional sports. The upcoming Olympic Esports Games in 2025 offer Indian athletes a fresh chance to excel and bring home glory in the virtual arena.
While the specific game titles are yet to be confirmed, Indian players have already shown their strength in various national and international competitions.
The recently concluded Android Battlegrounds Mobile India Masters Series (BGMS) season 3 and the Valorant Challengers South Asia Split have showcased fierce competition among the country’s top esports teams. These tournaments, organised by NODWIN Gaming provide the ideal stage and high-pressure environment for India’s athletes to hone their skills and prepare for major international multi-sport competitions.
“We are proud to provide a platform for talented esports athletes to shine through our large format IPs like BGMS and grassroots initiatives like the OMEN Valorant Campus Quest. These events feature open-for-all qualifiers, where aspiring players can compete with established teams, and offer significant prize pools that empower gamers to pursue their dreams. By providing a pathway from recreational gaming to a career in esports, NODWIN Gaming is committed to supporting Indian gamers to succeed locally and globally,” said NODWIN Gaming Co-founder and MD, Akshat Rathee.
SuperGaming, a game developer based in Pune, has also played a crucial role in building a sustainable ecosystem for Indian esports by organizing the nationwide grassroots tournament, Indus Inferno. Their upcoming game, Indus Battle Royale, which recently entered open beta, provides players with the opportunity to sharpen their esports skills in a game deeply rooted in Indian culture.
“Building world-class games requires teamwork, passion, and a belief in what is possible. With Indus, we’re not just creating a game; we are creating a platform for players to hone their skills, compete at a global level, and take pride in something made right here in India. As we set the stage for the next generation of esports athletes, we’re confident that esports in India will continue to rise and become a mainstream sport,” noted SuperGaming co-founder and CEO, Roby John.
As new talent and innovative games emerge, equipping athletes with the right tools is crucial. CyberPowerPC, a US-based gaming PC brand that recently entered the Indian market, aims to equip Indian gamers with high-quality custom and pre-built gaming PCs to help them achieve their goals.
“By merging the intensity and discipline of traditional sports with technology, esports has redefined competitive sports in the modern era. Success in esports relies as much on skill as it does on having the right tools to perform at the highest level. Therefore, it is essential that Indian gamers have access to the latest technology to break through barriers in esports. That is why we are committed to providing Indian gamers with the best hardware to pursue their ambitions. India has already made waves on the international stage in PC titles like DOTA 2 and League of Legends, and we anticipate similar success, potentially at the Olympic Esports Games,” commented CyberPowerPC India, chief operating officer, Vishal Parekh.
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.
