Gaming
Rolling Loud levels up as Valorant drops into India’s hip hop arena
MUMBAI: The beat is dropping, the spike is planting and India is about to witness a cultural crossover loud enough to shake both the pit and the server. In a first-of-its-kind union of bass and battle, Riot Games’ tactical shooter Valorant is teaming up with Rolling Loud India 2025, the world’s largest hip-hop festival, for an explosive two-day debut at Loud Park, Navi Mumbai, on 22–23 November 2025.
It’s a milestone moment where firepower meets flow, as India gets its maiden mash-up of global gaming swagger and global hip-hop spectacle. The festival, co-produced by Rolling Loud and District by Zomato, promises a weekend that fuses festival chaos with in-game confidence loud, proud, and right on cue for Valorant’s 5th anniversary and Rolling Loud’s 10-year run since its Miami beginnings in 2015.
Rolling Loud has lit up cities from Miami and Los Angeles to Portugal, Germany, Thailand, Australia and beyond. Its India edition keeps that energy booming, bringing a heavyweight roster including Central Cee, Wiz Khalifa, Karan Aujla, Swae Lee, DaBaby, Denzel Curry, Don Toliver, NAV, Sheck Wes, Westside Gunn, and many more closing out with a special home-turf blaze by Divine.
With Hanumankind fuelling India’s hip-hop momentum, Rolling Loud India arrives both global in ambition and unmistakably local in flavour.
“Valorant reflects the spirit of its players… music is the pulse of the Valorant experience,” said Riot Games India director of publishing Arun Rajappa noting how the collaboration meets fans “where they already are in emotion, expression, and culture.”
Rolling Loud’s co-founders Matt Zingler and Tariq Cherif echoed the sentiment, calling Valorant a natural fit: “We’ve always connected worlds music, fashion, art, and now gaming.”
India has moved to Valorant’s rhythm before: the 2022 anthem “Raja”, introducing Agent Harbor, hit over 2.8 million Youtube plays and became an instant rallying cry.
Then came “Bunker”, featuring Tienas, a swagger-heavy tribute to the grit and camaraderie of the Indian Valorant community.
The Rolling Loud partnership turns that beat into a festival-scale pulse.
At Rolling Loud India, Valorant will unveil a multi-sensory experience zone designed like a live-action extension of the game’s universe equal parts arena, arcade, and art gallery.
Festival-goers can:
. Step into Karaoke Pods blasting curated Valorant playlists and in-game anthems
. Square off in quick duels and playful reflex challenges
. Explore interactive installations, live art moments, and photo-ready set-pieces
. Immerse themselves in a space where gaming culture and hip-hop aesthetics merge seamlessly
Every corner is built to move with the crowd, keeping the vibe kinetic, competitive, and unmistakably “VAL-ready.”
For Riot Games, this is more than a collaboration, it’s a cultural handshake with players who game hard, vibe harder, and treat music as their second weapon of choice.
And as Mumbai gears up to host a festival where flow meets firepower, one thing’s certain, Rolling Loud India 2025 is about to be the loudest lobby Valorant has ever entered.
Gaming
Roblox appoints Sunil Rao as India managing director to drive growth
Former AWS leader to lead creator ecosystem, partnerships and local strategy
MUMBAI: Roblox has appointed Sunil Rao as managing director for India, as the company looks to deepen its footprint in one of its fastest-growing markets.
Rao, who will join in May, will serve as the senior-most representative for Roblox in India, leading local strategy, partnerships and day-to-day operations. His mandate includes strengthening the platform’s presence, supporting the creator ecosystem and aligning India’s market needs with global priorities.
A key focus area will be nurturing India’s growing community of developers and creators, enabling local studios to leverage Roblox’s tools for scaling and monetisation. Globally, the platform’s creator community earned over $1.5 billion in 2025, underlining the economic potential of user-generated content ecosystems.
“Roblox is at the forefront of enabling a new generation of creators and games. India’s scale, creativity, and entrepreneurial energy present a massive opportunity,” said Rao. “I’m excited to build a vibrant and inclusive ecosystem that empowers developers and creators across the country. Ensuring child safety and aligning closely with India’s regulatory framework will be among my top priorities.”
Welcoming the appointment, Roblox vice president international Zhen Fang said India represents a high-potential market for the company. “Sunil brings deep expertise in building operations across diverse markets, and his passion for community-centric platforms makes him the ideal leader to drive our next chapter of growth in the country.”
Rao brings over two decades of experience across technology platforms, venture capital and developer ecosystems. He was previously part of the leadership team at Amazon Web Services, where he led strategy and corporate business development across Asia-Pacific and Japan. He also served as a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, working closely with startups and founders.
Earlier in his career, Rao played a key role in building developer ecosystems at Symbian, Nokia and Google, contributing to the growth of major mobile and internet platforms.
With India’s large youth population and rapidly evolving digital landscape, Roblox’s latest leadership move signals a sharper focus on long-term growth, local relevance and creator-led innovation in the market.
