Gaming
Gaming veteran Rahul Razdan launches Giga to blur entertainment boundaries
MUMBAI: Rahul Razdan, the architect behind some of India’s most audacious digital ventures, has emerged from Reliance Jio’s corridors to launch Giga, his latest gambit to reshape gaming and entertainment. The 51-year-old, who spent nearly a decade building JioChat into a multimedia powerhouse, now promises to deploy artificial intelligence to revolutionise how humans engage with games.
Razdan’s pedigree reads like a who’s who of India’s digital transformation. As president of Tencent’s Indian operations between 2012 and 2014, he orchestrated WeChat’s meteoric rise, briefly dethroning established messaging giants. The app’s coup de grâce came via an audacious marketing blitz featuring Bollywood stars and a record-breaking QR code cake made from 7,500 individual cakes.
His tenure at Jio proved equally theatrical. JioChat became the first app to bear the Jio brand, even predating the network itself. Under his stewardship, the platform birthed India’s pioneering vertical video ecosystem and hosted the award-winning KBC Play Along game, where users played alongside television’s prime-time quiz show in real time.
Before his corporate conquests, Razdan co-founded ibibo.com, crafting what he claims was India’s first internet business with multiple revenue streams firmly embedded. The venture, backed by South Africa’s Naspers and China’s Tencent, pioneered social gaming with local flavour and real-money integration.
Giga’s cryptic website teases that “the 400 pound gorilla is coming soon,” offering little beyond Razdan’s promise to blur traditional entertainment boundaries. His track record suggests punters should pay attention. After all, this is the same executive who recently pivoted to filmmaking at 51, producing an award-winning animated short that swept international festivals from London to Buenos Aires.
Armed with degrees from the School of Planning and Architecture and IIM Indore, plus two decades navigating India’s digital rapids, Razdan appears intent on proving that gaming’s next act has only just begun.
Gaming
Konami concludes successful eFootball India campaign
Campaign featuring Rinku Singh, Varun Chakravarthy and other stars boosts engagement ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026.
MUMBAI: When cricket meets football in the virtual world, even the biggest fans can’t help but score and Konami’s latest eFootball campaign in India has clearly hit the back of the net. Konami Digital Entertainment has successfully wrapped up its India campaign for eFootball, which brought together cricketers Rinku Singh and Varun Chakravarthy, actors Naslen Gafoor and Chandu Salim Kumar, and footballers Sahal Abdul Samad and Shubhasish Bose. The multi-star campaign generated strong excitement across gaming, football, and creator communities through social content, fan participation, and in-game engagement.
Building on the initial launch that featured a limited-time Lionel Messi card, the campaign united fan communities, lifestyle creators, football creators, and competitive eFootball influencers. It significantly expanded the game’s visibility and deepened engagement with fans across the country.
The campaign also saw thousands of entries submitted as part of its social media engagement challenge, reflecting high levels of community enthusiasm and active creator involvement.
Looking ahead, Konami plans to build on this momentum with more eFootball experiences for Indian fans as the FIFA World Cup 2026 approaches. With global attention on the tournament set to rise, India will remain a key market for deepening community engagement and bringing fans closer to the action.
In a country that lives and breathes sport, Konami has shown that mixing real-world stars with virtual thrills is a winning formula leaving fans eagerly waiting for the next goal.
