Gaming
Junglee Games hands the reins to Kapil Rathee
DELHI: Junglee Games is betting on an insider to lead its next chapter. The online gaming firm has elevated co-founder Kapil Rathee to chief executive officer, promoted Abhishek Bharti from senior vice-president of technology to chief technology officer, and moved Bharat Bhatia from chief marketing officer to chief business officer. The shake-up is part of Flutter Entertainment’s broader Asia Pacific strategy and marks the end of a carefully orchestrated succession.
Rathee joined Junglee in May 2015 and has spent nearly 11 years climbing through the ranks, holding roles including vice-president of product, chief product officer and president before becoming co-founder in 2023. Now, as chief executive, he will focus on product innovation and expansion whilst keeping Junglee aligned with Flutter’s long-term regional priorities.
Barni Evans, chief executive of Flutter APAC, praised Rathee’s decade-long contribution. “Kapil has been a central driver of Junglee’s growth for more than a decade and his planned appointment as CEO is a natural progression of the leadership he has consistently demonstrated,” Evans said. He also thanked outgoing leader Ankush Gera for building a strong foundation and culture at the company.
Gera will stay on as a key adviser to the board, supporting strategic initiatives. “It has been a phenomenal journey building Junglee, and I am so proud of everything we have achieved as a team,” Gera said. “I am confident that under Kapil’s stewardship alongside Bharat, Abhishek and the rest of Junglee’s exco, the business will enter its strongest phase yet.”
Rathee said he was honoured to take the helm at such a pivotal moment. “Over the last decade, we have built a company rooted in innovation, integrity, and exceptional player experiences,” he said. His focus will be on expanding into new products and markets, enhancing product leadership and driving sustainable long-term growth in line with Flutter’s Asia Pacific strategy.
Junglee Games now boasts a community of 150 million registered users. Following recent regulatory updates, the company has pivoted to free-to-play social games and is expanding its product and technology footprint into new markets. With nearly 15 years of innovation behind it, the firm has consistently emphasised fair play, compliance and responsible gaming, underpinned by behavioural science and AI-driven safety systems.
The leadership transition positions Junglee to accelerate its strategic expansion as part of Flutter’s vision for the region. The company will continue strengthening its product capabilities, deepening its market presence and exploring new opportunities whilst staying committed to responsible, compliant, player-first experiences. With fresh blood at the top and a battle-tested team behind him, Rathee inherits a business primed for its next act.
Gaming
Dream Sports sees 100 plus exits after gaming ban forces overhaul
Company splits into eight units as real money gaming law hits revenue.
MUMBAI: For a company built on fantasy leagues, reality has suddenly rewritten the rulebook. More than 100 employees have exited Dream Sports, the parent of Dream11, after the company reorganised its operations following India’s ban on real money online gaming. The shake up came after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 came into force in August 2025, prohibiting games where users deposit money expecting winnings. The regulation struck at the heart of the fantasy gaming industry and dramatically affected Dream Sports’ core business, wiping out about 95 percent of its revenue and all of its profits.
In response, the Mumbai based company shifted into what chief executive officer Harsh Jain described as “startup mode”, splitting its operations into eight independent business units in December.
Around 700 employees were reassigned across these newly formed ventures based on their experience and interests. However, roughly 15 percent opted to leave the company.
A spokesperson for Dream Sports said many of those who exited were experienced professionals accustomed to running scaled businesses rather than early stage ventures.
“Since some of these employees were experienced with running high scale businesses and not startups, around 15 percent chose to leave and join other scaled companies or start ventures of their own,” the spokesperson said.
Despite the departures, the company noted that the attrition rate is only slightly higher than its earlier level of around 10 percent before the ban. Dream Sports now has close to 950 employees and is not currently hiring, choosing instead to focus on stabilising its existing workforce.
The restructuring has transformed Dream Sports from a fantasy gaming company into a broader sports entertainment platform. The eight units now operate independently, each focusing on different segments of the sports and technology ecosystem.
These include Dream11, sports streaming platform Fancode, sports travel service DreamSetGo, mobile game Dream Cricket and artificial intelligence initiative Dream Sports AI, which includes sports analytics platform Dream Play.
Other ventures include fintech product Dream Money, open source initiative Dream Horizon and the philanthropic arm Dream Sports Foundation.
As part of cost saving efforts, Dream Sports also relocated its headquarters from Bandra Kurla Complex to Worli earlier this year. The new office, called Dream Sports Stadium, brings teams from its various brands together under one roof to improve collaboration and operational efficiency.
Jain had earlier said the company removed bonus lock in timelines for employees hired in recent years, allowing those who wished to leave to exit with pro rata payouts.
“We want people who are fully into the startup mode and willing to work for it, and we will share that reward if it comes,” he said.
Founded in 2008 by Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth, Dream Sports was last valued at 8 billion dollars after raising 840 million dollars in 2021 from investors including Falcon Edge Capital, DST Global, D1 Capital Partners, RedBird Capital Partners, Tiger Global Management, TPG and Footpath Ventures.
The new gaming law has forced several companies in the fantasy gaming sector to either shut down or pivot their business models, signalling a significant reset for one of India’s fastest growing digital entertainment industries.
