iWorld
Ooyala hires Syncplicity’s Mike Nikzad as COO
MUMBAI: Ooyala, leading provider of software and services that simplify the complexity of producing, streaming and monetizing video, has appointed Mike Nikzad as its chief operating officer (COO). With more than 25 years of business operations and engineering leadership experience, Nikzad will be responsible for leading daily operations of the business with emphasis on Ooyala’s product lifecycle, including inception, development, delivery, support, and all customer deployments.
Prior to Ooyala, Nikzad was the COO of Syncplicity, a prominent software-as-a-service (SaaS) company for enterprise file collaboration, where he achieved substantial transformation across the business in under two years resulting in a significant growth in sales. He also held COO positions with EMC’s Consumer and Small Business division and NewNet Communication Technologies.
Focused on customer engagement, support and success, Nikzad has built his career, and subsequent business growth, by ensuring customers are center to all strategic, product, and corporate decisions.
Ooyala COO Mike Nikzad said, “With our portfolio of IVP solutions, backed by analytics and strong partnerships—including Microsoft and Adobe—I’m confident in our ability to generate tremendous value for our customers.”
“We will work to forge strong customer partnerships driven by leading edge solutions and a customer first ethos,” said Ooyala CEO Jonathan Huberman.
Gaming
DPIIT partners with Krafton to boost tech-media startups
New MoU aims to accelerate innovation in gaming, esports and AI-driven entertainment.
MUMBAI: When government meets gaming, sparks are bound to fly and this time, the partnership promises to level up India’s startup scene in more ways than one. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), under India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Krafton India Pvt. Ltd. to support early-stage startups working at the intersection of technology and media. The agreement, formalised on Thursday, reflects a growing effort by policymakers to harness private-sector expertise for the country’s booming digital entertainment ecosystem.
Under the partnership, selected startups will gain access to mentorship, industry networks and structured opportunities to engage with established players. The initiative is designed to help young companies move from prototype to market-ready products, test concepts, secure market access and integrate into larger industry ecosystems.
Sanjiv, a joint secretary at DPIIT, described the collaboration as part of a broader strategy to strengthen India’s digital and creative economy. He emphasised that such alliances are essential for helping startups develop globally competitive solutions in emerging sectors such as online gaming, esports, interactive media and artificial intelligence.
The programme will feature innovation challenges under the government’s startup initiatives, along with hackathons, workshops and masterclasses covering game design, animation, immersive technologies and AI applications. Selected startups may also be considered for pilot projects with industry partners based on their performance.
In a sector where ideas move at the speed of a battle royale, this partnership could be the ultimate power-up giving promising startups the mentorship and exposure needed to turn creative sparks into sustainable success stories.
