iWorld
Times Bridge appoints two Twitter execs to leadership roles
MUMBAI: Times Bridge has added two more Twitter seasoned professionals to its roster. The global investments arm of The Times Group has appointed Viral Jani and Margot Ling-former executives at the microblogging site-to its leadership team. Jani has been appointed senior vice president of investment operations while Ling has been appointed as head of greater China investments and partnerships.
Both appointments are effective immediately.
“The mission of Times Bridge is to bring the world’s best ideas to India and to share India’s best insights with the world,” said Times Bridge CEO Rishi Jaitly, who previously served as Twitter’s vice president, Asia Pacific and Middle East. “Viral and Margot are proven, mission-driven leaders who will help us build on recent momentum to scale the pan-India success of our investment portfolio and meet the demand for Times Bridge’s platform in China and beyond.”
Viral Jani, a graduate of MICA in Ahmedabad, has worked in a variety of functions across technology and media firms. Until recently, Jani led strategy, television and entertainment partnerships for Twitter across India working with key strategic partners to drive innovation and monetisation. Previously, he was Head of Strategy and Social Media for The Times Network. Jani will be based in Mumbai and lead the India success of Times Bridge’s growing investment portfolio, which includes Airbnb, Coursera, Houzz, MUBI, Thrive, Uber, Vice and others.
“India is a meeting point for the world’s great ideas and a microcosm of the world’s markets, presenting unique challenges and opportunities for all entrepreneurs,” said Jani. “At Times Bridge, I look forward to setting a new standard for what it means for big ideas, from our investment portfolio and beyond, to immerse across India.”
Margot Ling, before leading strategy and partnerships for Twitter across Greater China, helped global companies such as Dolby, News Corp and Edipresse structure deals in Mainland China. Ling will be based in Hong Kong and work with entrepreneurs and executives across Greater China to help them realize their India opportunity.
“China and India are not only the world’s fastest-growing economies but also two of the world’s most celebrated, ancient civilisations,” said Ling. “At Times Bridge, I look forward to building a bridge between India and China and, in so doing, setting a new standard for what it means for ideas to travel between cultures.”
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.
