Gaming
Mumbai Comic Con 2025 blasts off with cosplay, games and girl power
MUMBAI: It wasn’t just another Saturday at Jio World Convention Centre. It was the Saturday—where pop culture pulsed through every aisle, comic panels came alive, and Mumbai felt like the center of the multiverse.
Day one of Mumbai Comic Con 2025 kicked off in spectacular fashion, with thousands of fans dressed head-to-toe in everything from anime classics to MCU icons. You could spot a Spider-Man grooving to DJ beats next to a perfectly hand-crafted Princess Mononoke—it was a wild, wonderful celebration of fandom.
But it wasn’t just about costumes. Indie Game Utsav, a buzzing zone that stole the show. With over 40 made-in-India PC and console games, this section became the heartbeat of the con. Imagine test-playing raw, brilliant game ideas while casually bumping into reps from Epic Games and Xbox. Yeah, it was that cool.
The comic zone was a nostalgia-packed haven. Lined with vintage treasures, indie releases, and new-age graphic novels, it was more than a shopping stop—it was a sacred space for storytellers. OG fans clutched their prized first editions while curious newcomers flipped through Indian-origin comics with wide-eyed wonder. Creators were on hand, signing covers, sharing origin stories, and soaking in the love. The energy was pure, geeky bliss.
The Comic Book Store co-founder Hamza Sayed, Superhero Toy Store founder Devesh Chhabria, Marvel super fan and cosplayer Medha Shrivastava, and influencer Arya Kothari engaged in a dynamic panel discussion on the future of superhero films and their influence on pop culture.
Moderated by influencer Arya Kothari, the conversation explored the growing fascination with anti-heroes and shifting audience preferences. A key highlight was the discussion around Marvel Studios’ upcoming release Thunderbolts, which focuses on reformed villains navigating complex moral choices.
And then came a twist of empowerment.
Hidden behind the colorful chaos was a stage glowing with quiet power—the IAGT (It’s A Girl Thing) Salon. Think sisterhood meets sass, with real stories, raw laughs, and radical confidence.
The vibe? Electric. The crowd? Madly in love. Cosplayers posed like pros, merch stalls were swamped, and panel discussions had fans leaning forward in excitement. You could feel the joy, the nostalgia, and the pure thrill of being around people who just get what it means to be a fan.
And guess what? This was just day one.
Whether you were hunting exclusive collectibles, demoing the next big Indian game, or finding a little feminist fire at IAGT—Comic Con Mumbai proved once again that fandom isn’t just for fun. It’s a feeling.
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.
