Gaming
Shemaroo & BharatBox sell out Jab We Met Geet digital avatars
MUMBAI: Just when we thought the digital collectible frenzy was just a passing fad, Shemaroo Entertainment and BharatBox announced that their offer of 3,333 exclusive Jab We Met collectibles based on the character Geet portrayed by Kareena Kapoor in the popular film sold out. The Geet avatars, featured in the Jab We Met themed game on The Sandbox, became an instant favorite among fans.
The partnership not only generated over $40,000 in revenue within just 45 days but also showcased the growing influence of such collaborations on the global stage. The campaign’s success reflects the growing appetite for culturally relevant digital assets in the country today
Following this, the Jab We Met avatars attracted significant global interest, alongside a substantial inflow of buyers from India and across the globe. This solidified Shemaroo Entertainment’s IP on the global stage while amplifying BharatBox’s presence in mainstream entertainment. Notably, the campaign saw strong participation from Indian players, creators, and brands.
The primary participants included nearly 67,000 creators and users. Following the pre-launch, the campaign rolled out for the next few months, with a comprehensive strategy including teaser campaigns, educational content, and allowlist opening alongside early incentivisation through questing.
Additionally, Bharatbox and Shemaroo Entertainment worked with key opinion leaders (KOLs) followed by three Ask-Me-Anything (AMA) Sessions conducted with The Sandbox, gathering over 200,000 tune-ins. Lastly, social media giveaways for questing winners included $SAND as well as physical rewards offered by Shemaroo Entertainment to avatar holders.
The Geet collection reinforced the potential of popular Indian cinema IPs in the metaverse, tapping into India’s strong player-creator community within the blockchain gaming ecosystem. The campaign leveraged BharatBox’s blockchain infrastructure within The Sandbox, utilising no-code tools for creators and play-to-earn (P2E) models to incentivise player engagement. These features democratise access to the metaverse, making it easier for creators to monetize and for players to participate.
“Selling out the Jab We Met collection is a testament to innovation in the metaverse space,” said BharatBox CEO Karan Keswani. “Shemaroo Entertainment and BharatBox are bringing Indian culture to a new generation of digital-first audiences. This milestone reinforces our ability to deliver culturally resonant and commercially successful projects in the metaverse.”
Shemaroo Entertainment chief operating officer Arghya Chakravarty added: “At Shemaroo Entertainment, our mission has always been to innovate and connect with audiences through diverse storytelling. The success of the Jab We Met digital collectibles is a shining example of how Indian cinema’s timeless charm can seamlessly transition into new-age platforms like the metaverse. We are thrilled to see such enthusiastic participation from fans, and this milestone reinforces our commitment to redefining entertainment in the digital era.”
The resounding success of the Jab We Met collection signals the massive growth potential for BharatBox and Shemaroo Entertainment and is part of a broader India story within blockchain gaming, said a press release issued by Shemaroo.
BharatBox continues to lead the metaverse conversation in the country with India emerging as a top market, with an impressive 66,091 creators and an user base doubling from 150,000 to 350,000. This collaboration will pave the way to expand partnerships and forge new pathways for cultural IPs to thrive in a decentralised economy.
Gaming
Dream Sports sees 100 plus exits after gaming ban forces overhaul
Company splits into eight units as real money gaming law hits revenue.
MUMBAI: For a company built on fantasy leagues, reality has suddenly rewritten the rulebook. More than 100 employees have exited Dream Sports, the parent of Dream11, after the company reorganised its operations following India’s ban on real money online gaming. The shake up came after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 came into force in August 2025, prohibiting games where users deposit money expecting winnings. The regulation struck at the heart of the fantasy gaming industry and dramatically affected Dream Sports’ core business, wiping out about 95 percent of its revenue and all of its profits.
In response, the Mumbai based company shifted into what chief executive officer Harsh Jain described as “startup mode”, splitting its operations into eight independent business units in December.
Around 700 employees were reassigned across these newly formed ventures based on their experience and interests. However, roughly 15 percent opted to leave the company.
A spokesperson for Dream Sports said many of those who exited were experienced professionals accustomed to running scaled businesses rather than early stage ventures.
“Since some of these employees were experienced with running high scale businesses and not startups, around 15 percent chose to leave and join other scaled companies or start ventures of their own,” the spokesperson said.
Despite the departures, the company noted that the attrition rate is only slightly higher than its earlier level of around 10 percent before the ban. Dream Sports now has close to 950 employees and is not currently hiring, choosing instead to focus on stabilising its existing workforce.
The restructuring has transformed Dream Sports from a fantasy gaming company into a broader sports entertainment platform. The eight units now operate independently, each focusing on different segments of the sports and technology ecosystem.
These include Dream11, sports streaming platform Fancode, sports travel service DreamSetGo, mobile game Dream Cricket and artificial intelligence initiative Dream Sports AI, which includes sports analytics platform Dream Play.
Other ventures include fintech product Dream Money, open source initiative Dream Horizon and the philanthropic arm Dream Sports Foundation.
As part of cost saving efforts, Dream Sports also relocated its headquarters from Bandra Kurla Complex to Worli earlier this year. The new office, called Dream Sports Stadium, brings teams from its various brands together under one roof to improve collaboration and operational efficiency.
Jain had earlier said the company removed bonus lock in timelines for employees hired in recent years, allowing those who wished to leave to exit with pro rata payouts.
“We want people who are fully into the startup mode and willing to work for it, and we will share that reward if it comes,” he said.
Founded in 2008 by Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth, Dream Sports was last valued at 8 billion dollars after raising 840 million dollars in 2021 from investors including Falcon Edge Capital, DST Global, D1 Capital Partners, RedBird Capital Partners, Tiger Global Management, TPG and Footpath Ventures.
The new gaming law has forced several companies in the fantasy gaming sector to either shut down or pivot their business models, signalling a significant reset for one of India’s fastest growing digital entertainment industries.
