Gaming
Playground S4 on Amazon MX Player elevates reality gaming
Mumbai: Amazon MX Player, Amazon’s free video streaming service, has continued to deliver the highest quality gaming entertainment in India with the reality show Playground, currently streaming its fourth season. The show aims to unite contestants from diverse regions and backgrounds. It drew over 14 million viewers across India in the first three weeks of its launch, a 50 per cent increase over season three.
As India’s first ever reality gaming show, Playground S4 continues its search for the next ‘New Age Star’, with a more dynamic and enhanced experience. Featuring top-notch gaming content, tougher challenges, and an innovative format, Season 4 has surpassed expectations, capturing the attention of major brands in the country. The show’s blend of gaming, drama, and entertainment has brought in major sponsors like Hero MotoCorp and Tecno mobile for the second time and MAAC for the fourth consecutive year. In a further big win, Zupee, one of India’s leading skill-based gaming apps, has come on board as the ‘co-powered’ sponsor, cementing the show’s reputation and success.
Amazon MX Player director & head Karan Bedi, shared his excitement about the show’s success, “Playground S4 has set new benchmarks in the gaming entertainment space. The positive response from viewers and advertisers is a testament to our vision of providing premium, free entertainment to our audiences across India. The show’s high engagement comes from its mix of unique gaming challenges and reality television drama, making it a top choice for young adult viewers. We have even more exciting challenges and mentors lined up as we progress towards the finale!”
Zupee COO Akanksha Dhamija says, “We’re excited to partner with Playground S4, as it perfectly aligns with our commitment to innovative, skill-based gaming. At Zupee, our focus is on creating meaningful engagement and delivering joyful experiences through games that are relevant to all gamers, which makes this collaboration an ideal fit.”
Presented by Hero MotoCorp and co-powered by Tecno mobile and Zupee, Official Gaming Partner, Playground S4 streams exclusively on Amazon MX Player, with episodes airing daily at 12 pm, available through its apps on mobile, Amazon shopping app, Prime Video, Fire TV and Connected TVs.
Gaming
IICT signs three MoUs to boost AVGC-XR and esports
Partnerships with Zenfluencers, Yologram and Eruditio at Chennai Gaming Show 2026 strengthen education, XR innovation and nationwide talent outreach.
MUMBAI: IICT has just levelled up the game in a big way. The Indian Institute of Creative Technologies signed three strategic Memorandums of Understanding on 17 April 2026 at the CII Summit FX – India Gaming Show in Chennai, forging alliances with The Zenfluencers, Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. and Eruditio Consultants to accelerate India’s AVGC-XR ecosystem.
The tie-ups combine IICT’s strengths in education, skilling and research with specialist expertise across esports, immersive technologies and large-scale outreach.
- With The Zenfluencers, IICT will roll out globally benchmarked esports programmes, including joint certification courses, industry workshops, tournaments and masterclasses, creating clear career pathways across the full esports value chain.
- The partnership with Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. focuses on gaming, immersive storytelling and extended reality (XR), delivering industry-aligned curriculum, faculty mentorship, student showcases and collaborative research in immersive AI and virtual production.
- Collaboration with Eruditio Consultants targets awareness, accessibility and career alignment, with nationwide counsellor training, institutional engagement and structured guidance frameworks to reach students beyond Tier-1 cities.
IICT CEO Vishwas Deoskar said, “As the AVGC-XR sector evolves at a rapid pace, strong collaborations between industry and academia are essential. These partnerships will create meaningful impact across education, innovation and outreach.”
Yologram Style Pvt. Ltd. founder Aditya Mani added, “AI-driven creator worlds are transforming games into engines of culture, commerce and careers. Together we aim to empower a generation to build immersive futures.”
Eruditio Consultants founder Indrajit Ghosh noted, “This is not just about awareness, it is about building a structured ecosystem that connects aspiration with opportunity.”
The Zenfluencers CEO Atharva Gupta said, “This MoU is a big unlock moment for the esports ecosystem in India. We’re building a structured pipeline for talent across the full stack.”
By bringing together academia, industry leaders and ecosystem players, IICT is creating scalable models that blend cutting-edge skills with real-world relevance. In a sector racing toward the future, these three partnerships ensure India’s next generation of creative technologists won’t just keep up, they’ll set the pace.
