iWorld
MSN India appoints Samir Saraiya as head of business development
MUMBAI: MSN India, the leading online destination for Indians across the globe, today announced the appointment of Samir Saraiya as head of business development.
Saraiya will be reporting to MSN India & Windows Live country head Jaspreet Bindra.
According to Bindra in an official statement, “The Indian Internet market is flourishing and the growth that MSN India is experiencing reflects that. The appointment of Samir is part of our commitment to strengthen our pool of experience and expertise that MSN customers have come to expect.”
In this newly created role, Saraiya will be responsible for leveraging the strengths of MSN India and Windows Live to create new opportunities and relationships with businesses in the Indian market.
He has been with the internet industry for the past several years. The early dotcom wave saw him shifting to Mid-Day where he headed the group’s business development portfolio across its digital assets. He then joined the Indian media conglomerate, The Times of India Group, where he worked with the vice chairman’s office overseeing business strategy across the Group’s media properties, including Indiatimes, The Economic Times and Bombay Times.
In 2003, he moved to Yahoo! India where he was responsible for creating new revenue streams across both the internet and mobile divisions including launching Yahoo! India’s E-commerce initiative and its mobile adverting products, states the release.
Gaming
Formula 1 and Mumbai Falcons launch India’s first official F1 sim racing championship
Nationwide competition creates pathway from virtual racing to pro motorsport
MUMBAI: Formula 1 has teamed up with Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited to launch India’s first officially sanctioned F1 sim racing competition, marking a new step in the country’s growing motorsport ecosystem.
The championship, titled F1 Sim Racing India Open 2026, will offer a structured national platform for sim racers, with participants competing on the official F1 25 across multiple stages. The competition will begin with online qualifiers, followed by city-based simulator rounds, before culminating in a national final in Mumbai this November.
Open to players across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox, registrations for the event will begin on 30 April via the Mumbai Falcons app. The format mirrors real-world racing, featuring official circuits, team liveries and competitive structures aligned with the global series.
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan said the initiative arrives at a time when interest in the sport is surging in India, adding that a structured sim racing platform could help identify and nurture the next generation of talent.
Mumbai Falcons Racing Limited managing director Ameet Gadhoke noted that the championship aligns with the team’s long-term goal of building a strong motorsport pipeline in the country and placing Indian talent on the global stage.
The launch also reflects broader momentum in esports, especially after its recognition under India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025. By bridging gaming and real-world racing, the initiative aims to offer aspiring drivers a credible entry point into professional motorsport.
With interest in Formula 1 steadily rising and conversations around its return to India gaining pace, the new championship could become a proving ground for future racing stars.
