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Tata Motors becomes title sponsor of Yuvin Valorant Invitational
Mumbai: Homegrown e-sports organisation Yuvin Esports on Wednesday announced Tata Motors as the title sponsors for the upcoming Yuvin Valorant Invitational (YVI) tournament, scheduled from 2-5 September. The partnership marks the auto major’s foray into the e-sports domain which has seen a rapid rise in the recent past.
Founded in 2018, Yuvin Esports has been focussing on building and grooming talent from India, South Asia and Southeast Asia for a competitive international arena.
“The exciting competition will feature India’s top eight Valorant teams battling it out in a single-elimination format,” said the statement. “The teams will be contesting in a best-of-three format while the grand finale will have best-of-five format on 5 September,” it added.
“Tata Motors has time and again come forward to show its support to all kinds of sports and with this association, we commence our maiden journey into the e-sports arena. The Indian e-sports industry is growing at a very fast pace and is becoming a preferred choice of entertainment of young millennials and Gen Zs,” said Tata Motors, PVBU, head – digital marketing, Nikhil Kurian. “At Tata Motors, we cater to the young and aspirational needs of our customers and electronically played sports are one such promising channel. We look forward to a fruitful association with Yuvin Valorant Invitational and hope to encourage the growth of budding talent in this new age field.”
“The brand name and presence like Tata Motors always incites an environment of awe and veneration for all the communities out there irrespective of the medium they are currently in,” said Yuvin Esports Pvt Ltd, CEO & founder, Sharang Naicker. “Tata Group has been supportive of multiple sports for centuries and now everything becoming ‘e’, it is the perfect time for the grand entry into e-sports.”
The tournament’s engagement with Tata Motors will coincide with the recently launched Tata Tiago NRG. “We are extremely proud and excited that Tata Motors has partnered with us to promote Tiago NRG through a modern medium of e-sports. This is the first of many events we have planned for the massive e-sports enthusiasts’ community,” Naicker further said.
The YVI tournament will be streamed LIVE on Yuvin Esports’ YouTube channel in English and Hindi.
eNews
Piyush Thakur steps down as Inshorts’ chief revenue officer
Former vice president and cro says exit marks a new chapter after close to a decade of building revenue and partnerships at Inshorts Group.
NOIDA: Piyush Thakur has stepped away from Inshorts Group after nearly 10 years with the company, marking the end of a long tenure that culminated in his role as chief revenue officer.
In a farewell note, Thakur said he was “turning a new page” after almost a decade at Inshorts, calling it one of the hardest professional decisions he has made. He added that his exit was not driven by uncertainty about the future, but by reflection on a long association with the company.
Thakur joined Inshorts in October 2016 as vice president and spent around seven years in the role before being elevated to chief revenue officer in April 2024, a position he held until April 2026.
He said his tenure was defined by “thousands of mornings, late nights, product debates and breakthrough moments”, as the company evolved into a large-scale digital news platform used by millions.
In his note, Thakur emphasised that Inshorts’ growth was a collective effort across teams, adding that engineers, designers, sales teams and customer support staff all contributed to building the platform. He said the company’s success was not the result of individuals but of “everyone who stayed, passed through, and left their mark”.
Before Inshorts, Thakur worked across several digital media and business development roles. At ESPN, he served as senior regional manager from October 2015 to October 2016, focusing on growth initiatives, strategic opportunities and video distribution.
At Times Internet, he worked for nearly three years, including as head of business development from April 2015 to September 2015 and chief manager from January 2013 to March 2015. His responsibilities included monetisation of mobile platforms, managing media and developer partnerships, and driving revenue across digital properties such as The Times of India and The Economic Times.
Earlier, he worked at Brandmovers as head of business development from June 2012 to June 2013, handling digital, mobile and social media marketing solutions, client development and strategic consulting. During this period, he also worked on advertising revenue, brand strategy and CRM-based solutions.
At Inshorts, Thakur’s role focused on revenue strategy, mobile and media partnerships, and growth initiatives across platforms. His profile highlights experience in mobile product management, digital business models, partner ecosystems and revenue expansion in high-growth environments.
