Gaming
TEGC 2023: A decade of esports excellence returns, unveils new website and trophy
Mumbai: The fun, cool, and futuristic Taiwan Excellence Gaming Cup (TEGC) 2023 is back in India in all its splendour to hunt for new esports champions.
TEGC – the longest-running esports championships in India – will complete 10 years in 2023, and the celebrations surrounding the coveted championship promises to be bigger, better, and bolder.
On 12 September, Taiwan Excellence (TE) unveiled details of the elimination rounds, the grand finale and other interesting aspects of the sought-after championship at a special press conference held at Four Seasons, Worli, Mumbai.
This year the event will, for the first time, bring together all former TEGC champions from India on one stage. TEGC has also tied up with leading tech influencers to livestream the event, and the same will be available on the TE YouTube handle. A brand-new website was unveiled during the event, signalling the opening of the TEGC registration for gamers with many interesting prizes up for grabs in the finale.
Recognising the immense contribution of women in esports, TEGC announced its plans to have an interesting contest between India’s top 10 female gamers. This battle will play out at the same time as the TEGC grand finale scheduled to be held in November.
TEGC 2023 will also be promoted at several college and gaming festivals where visitors will get a first-hand experience of Made in Taiwan products during the festival period and in another first, TEGC will join hands with an NGO working with underprivileged children as part of its sustainable development goals (SDGs). The tie-up will allow the kids to spend a fun-filled day interacting with influential gamers playing educational games and understanding the importance of sports for their holistic development.
Over the years, TEGC has helped launch the gaming careers of many e-sports enthusiasts across India. Several TEGC champions and participants have represented India at international gaming events, winning laurels for the country.
A report by Mordor Intelligence has estimated that India’s gaming market will grow from $3.02 billion in 2023 to $6.26 billion by 2028, a CAGR of 15.68 per cent during the period.
Speaking at the launch of the tenth edition of TEGC, Taipei World Trade Centre Liaison Office in Mumbai (TAITRA – Mumbai) director Poyi Edison Hsu said, “Esports is not just about gaming, it is a passion, a career and a way of life for some of the brightest minds in this country,”.
“From 500 participants at its debut, the TEGC has come a long way with the 10th edition expected to have over 25,000 young Indian gamers battling it out to be the champion,” said Edison.
Terming TEGC’s tenth edition as ‘extra special’, he added, “To celebrate 10 years of TEGC, the grand finale will see all former TEGC champions on one platform. For the first time, the TEGC finale will also have a special event to acknowledge women power in esports with India’s top 10 women gamers showcasing their gaming prowess.”
Commenting on the future of esports in the country, Edison said, “India’s demographic advantage, growing IT infrastructure and resultant internet and smartphone penetration augurs well for the future of the gaming industry.”
The event also gives gamers and visitors a chance to delve deep into Taiwan’s formidable gaming technology and gadgets. During the event, leading brands displayed the best of products such as AORUS, AROMASE, CyberPower, D-Link, MSI, Predator, Republic of Gamers, Thermaltake, VICTOR, and Zyxel among others.
Should you require any further details, please visit the official website: https://tegamingcup.in/
Gaming
MTG gaming chief Benninghoff joins NODWIN board as esports firm primes for IPO
The Gurugram-based esports firm is pursuing a public listing, has returned to profitability and is growing revenues by 42 per cent
GURUGRAM: NODWIN Gaming is moving fast. The Gurugram-based gaming and esports company has launched a pre-IPO fundraising round, appointed UBS as lead adviser for both the round and a subsequent public listing, and landed a heavyweight board director, all in one go.
The new board member is Arnd Benninghoff, executive vice president of gaming at Stockholm-listed Modern Times Group (MTG), who has overseen the group’s strategic investments and portfolio growth since 2014. He is no stranger to building things: Benninghoff has founded and built fifteen companies, served as chief digital officer at ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, managing director of SevenVentures, and chief executive of Holtzbrinck eLAB. He began his career as a journalist at Deutsche Presse Agentur and various TV networks, holds a Diplom-Kaufmann in business and administration from the University of Münster, and previously sat on the board of Edgeware AB.
The numbers back the ambition
NODWIN is not pitching a story without substance. The company has returned to EBITDA profitability and posted a 42 per cent year-on-year revenue surge, reaching $58.5m in the first nine months of FY2026. The pre-IPO round will combine a primary issuance to fund global expansion through organic growth and acquisitions, alongside a secondary sale to give existing shareholders some liquidity.
Akshat Rathee, co-founder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said Benninghoff understands “the entire lifecycle of the gaming and media ecosystem, from the boots-on-the-ground reality of building startups to the strategic complexity of managing multi-billion dollar global portfolios.”
Benninghoff, for his part, said the company “sits at the intersection of sports, entertainment, and technology, making it one of the most exciting players in the global gaming landscape today.”
A portfolio built for the global south
Founded in 2014 by Rathee and Gautam Virk, NODWIN has quietly assembled one of the more compelling esports portfolios outside the Western hemisphere. Its properties include DreamHack India and Comic Con India, and it recently acquired StarLadder, the Ukraine-based tournament organiser behind premier events in CS:GO and Dota 2. The company also serves as a long-term strategic marketing partner for the Evolution Championship Series (EVO), the world’s most prominent fighting game tournament, helping push it into new geographies.
Its geographic focus spans South Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Backers include Nazara Technologies, KRAFTON, Sony Group Corporation, JetSynthesys, and the founders’ investment vehicle Good Game Investments.
What comes next
With UBS running the books, a board freshly reinforced with European media and gaming expertise, and revenue heading in the right direction, NODWIN is laying the groundwork deliberately. The esports industry has burned investors before with big promises and thin margins. NODWIN’s return to profitability, combined with a real portfolio of owned intellectual properties across gaming, music and youth culture, gives it a more credible runway than most. The IPO clock is now ticking.
