Gaming
KGeN launches India’s first VALORANT virtual training academy ‘LIFT//OFF’
Mumbai: KGeN, a community-led gaming platform, partners with Riot Games to launch LIFT//OFF, India’s first-ever community-led and data-driven online training academy aimed at developing professional VALORANT athletes. LIFT//OFF provides aspiring gamers the opportunity to enhance their skills and showcase their abilities on a global stage.
This innovative program selects top gaming content creators as ‘creators’ and competitive gamers as ‘trainers’ from the VALORANT community to lead the academy. Creators will form teams by selecting players from their communities, with a total of 60-80 participants to be trained by 20 chosen trainers.
The selection process will be based on a player’s in-game VALORANT performance, considering factors such as hours played, win rates, kills, headshot percentage, and KDR. Additionally, social standing, including tournament wins and content creation, will play a role in determining the first set of trainers, creators, and esports recruits for LIFT//OFF.
Through LIFT//OFF, participants will connect with the global esports community. Top-performing teams will gain the opportunity to participate in official VALORANT tournaments. Additionally, creators and trainers will receive official VALORANT merchandise, recognising their pivotal role in shaping the program and advancing India’s esports scene.
LIFT//OFF goes beyond improving in-game skills—it nurtures the next generation of esports stars. The program offers guidance not only in gameplay strategies but also in fostering a strong social persona, ensuring participants become well-rounded esports professionals. By analysing data-driven insights, the academy will tailor tutorials and challenges to address specific areas of improvement for each recruit.
LIFT//OFF Roadmap:
– Launch (18 September) – Applications for creators, trainers, and recruits go live.
– Last Date to Apply (10 October) – Deadline for applications.
– Weekly & Daily Challenges Leaderboard (4 – 26 November) – Players participate in in-game challenges and win rewards.
– Finale (30 November – 3 December) – Final tournament assesses recruits’ learnings and trainers’ effectiveness.
To apply, visit https://youtu.be/5QPYdxKlCeA?si=fKVdKoZbV32Rusjl and choose the role that suits you best. KGeN will guide applicants through the next steps.
Gaming
Roblox appoints Sunil Rao as India managing director to drive growth
Former AWS leader to lead creator ecosystem, partnerships and local strategy
MUMBAI: Roblox has appointed Sunil Rao as managing director for India, as the company looks to deepen its footprint in one of its fastest-growing markets.
Rao, who will join in May, will serve as the senior-most representative for Roblox in India, leading local strategy, partnerships and day-to-day operations. His mandate includes strengthening the platform’s presence, supporting the creator ecosystem and aligning India’s market needs with global priorities.
A key focus area will be nurturing India’s growing community of developers and creators, enabling local studios to leverage Roblox’s tools for scaling and monetisation. Globally, the platform’s creator community earned over $1.5 billion in 2025, underlining the economic potential of user-generated content ecosystems.
“Roblox is at the forefront of enabling a new generation of creators and games. India’s scale, creativity, and entrepreneurial energy present a massive opportunity,” said Rao. “I’m excited to build a vibrant and inclusive ecosystem that empowers developers and creators across the country. Ensuring child safety and aligning closely with India’s regulatory framework will be among my top priorities.”
Welcoming the appointment, Roblox vice president international Zhen Fang said India represents a high-potential market for the company. “Sunil brings deep expertise in building operations across diverse markets, and his passion for community-centric platforms makes him the ideal leader to drive our next chapter of growth in the country.”
Rao brings over two decades of experience across technology platforms, venture capital and developer ecosystems. He was previously part of the leadership team at Amazon Web Services, where he led strategy and corporate business development across Asia-Pacific and Japan. He also served as a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, working closely with startups and founders.
Earlier in his career, Rao played a key role in building developer ecosystems at Symbian, Nokia and Google, contributing to the growth of major mobile and internet platforms.
With India’s large youth population and rapidly evolving digital landscape, Roblox’s latest leadership move signals a sharper focus on long-term growth, local relevance and creator-led innovation in the market.
