iWorld
Pocket Aces onboards Parul Menghani as head of marcom & new initiatives
Mumbai: Bolstering its leadership team, Pocket Aces, India’s leading digital entertainment company, has announced the appointment of Parul Menghani who takes charge as the head of marketing communications and new initiatives.
A media veteran with over 18 years of experience across large global organizations and start-ups, Menghani brings with her a wealth of knowledge, experience and valuable industry relationships to further drive the vision of Pocket Aces to solidify its position as the leader in digital entertainment. Her career in a leadership role spans across organisations like ShareChat, Viacom18, Times Network, Disney, Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd (RBNL), Trell and Network18.
In her new role, Menghani will be responsible for leading Pocket Aces’ overall brand building and communications. Additionally, she will be responsible for driving new initiatives such as the company’s innovations in content-to-commerce.
Commenting on the appointment, Pocket Aces co-founder & CEO Aditi Shrivastava said, “Parul comes with a vast experience and network across the M&E sector. She shares our vision of being a culture creator, and our ambition of building cutting-edge products for audiences. We have always let our content speak for itself to grow our content brands, and you will now see some very exciting initiatives across offline and online from our umbrella brands at Pocket Aces. Getting Parul to focus on new initiatives is also a huge testament to our focus on innovation, to create new products for the strong communities we’ve built with our content.”
“I am thrilled to embark on my new endeavour with Pocket Aces and honoured to be entrusted with a strategic charter. My quest for knowledge and learning has led me to take on diverse roles throughout my journey, as I have always looked for challenging yet exciting opportunities,” says Menghani. “Pocket Aces has delivered highly successful and relatable content across formats in this ever evolving content ecosystem, and I am looking forward to working with Aditi and the team on the new chapter of growth for the organisation.”
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.
