iWorld
WhatsApp onboards Manesh Mahatme as head of payments in India
Mumbai: Facebook-owned WhatsApp messenger announced the appointment of Manesh Mahatme as the head of payments in India. Mahatme will focus on enhancing the payments experience for users, scaling the service offering, and work towards contributing to WhatsApp’s vision of digital and financial inclusion in India, it said in a statement.
Mahatme previously served as a senior executive at Amazon India where he led the product and engineering teams for US online retailer’s payments business, Amazon Pay. His earlier professional stints also include Citigroup and Bharti Airtel.
“We are excited to have Manesh join our WhatsApp India team,” WhatsApp India head Abhijit Bose said. “Manesh has been one of the key innovators driving the growth of digital payments in India over the last decade, and his experience will help us maximise the impact and scale of payments on WhatsApp.”
WhatsApp, which has more than 500 million Indian users, in November last year received a much-delayed approval from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for the launch of its payments system in the country. However, its rollout so far has been capped by regulators at 20 million users.
The Facebook subsidiary is set to compete with fintech companies like Paytm, Google Pay, PhonePe, and Amazon Pay.
Gaming
Nodwin Gaming partners with Runestone for esports data and integrity solutions
South Asian esports leader joins forces with Czech tech firm to enhance tournament operations.
MUMBAI: Nodwin Gaming has just levelled up its game by bringing in a specialist to keep the scoreboard honest and the fans fully engaged. The leading South Asian esports and gaming company has announced a strategic partnership with Runestone, a Prague-headquartered esports technology firm specialising in real-time data and engagement solutions for tournament organisers and publishers.
The collaboration aims to strengthen competitive integrity, improve operational oversight, and deliver more interactive viewing experiences across Nodwin’s properties. It will initially focus on the Nodwin Clutch Series for Counter-Strike 2, a Tier 2 tournament that provides emerging teams with consistent competitive opportunities and helps build the talent pipeline.
The latest edition of the series recently concluded with Big defeating ECSTATIC 2–1 in the grand final of the $50,000 online event.
Nodwin Gaming chief business officer at MENA and global head of data monetization Teemu Koski said, “Integrity and transparency are fundamental to sustainable esports ecosystems, especially in Tier 2 competition where the next generation of talent emerges. Runestone’s expertise complements our experience in building scalable esports IPs.”
Runestone head of partnerships Michael Schwartz added, “Nodwin Gaming has built one of the most dynamic esports ecosystems across emerging markets. We’re thrilled to collaborate on supporting tournaments with greater transparency, deeper fan interaction, and scalable tools.”
Both companies are exploring opportunities to extend the partnership across additional titles, including mobile-first competitive ecosystems, and to develop new products for publishers, tournament operators, and event promoters.
In the rapidly growing world of esports, where fair play and fan excitement are equally crucial, Nodwin Gaming and Runestone are teaming up to ensure every match is not only competitive but also transparent and engaging. This alliance could well become a game-changer for Tier 2 tournaments across South Asia and beyond.
