iWorld
WinZO ropes in Youtuber CarryMinati as brand ambassador
Mumbai: Homegrown interactive entertainment platform WinZO has roped in independent content creator Ajey Nagar who goes by the alias CarryMinati, as its brand ambassador. The New Delhi-headquartered interactive social gaming startup seeks to leverage its foothold within the gaming community in India with this strategic partnership.
As a part of this strategic collaboration, the Youtuber will generate gaming-centric content that is interactive, unique, and relatable for WinZO exclusively on his streaming channel ‘Carryislive’ and a solo integration on his primary YouTube channel CarryMinati, said the gaming company.
“India is fast emerging as a critical market for interactive entertainment on the global grid. Gaming is also rapidly evolving and isn’t limited to only playing anymore,” remarked WinZO co-founder Saumya Singh Rathore. “The advent of live streaming and community engagement has resulted in the evolution of a 360-degree gaming ecosystem, which CarryMinati has been at the forefront of. We are thrilled to have him onboard. We collectively hope to further our vision of promoting the spirit of winning and culturally relevant content across Bharat.”
According to the latest industry reports, the Indian gaming industry is generating over $1.5 billion revenue and is expected to exponentially grow to be a trillion-dollar industry by 2025. Interestingly, approximately, one in every five mobile game downloads worldwide is from India. Ahead of markets such as the US and Brazil, India was the leading country for the first half of 2021, reaching 4.8 billion downloads.
“India is at the epicentre of a swiftly growing trillion-dollar global gaming opportunity. The country is the largest market for mobile games, contributing to nearly 40 per cent of the worldwide downloads, which speaks volumes about the untapped potential of the social gaming community,” stated CarryMinati. “Considering there is a similarity in WinZO’s and my core competencies and brand values, I would like to create multiple avenues via this partnership to connect people from the remotest parts of the country through culturally relevant and relatable content. It is important that visionaries in the marketplace join hands to discover and develop this untapped industry to build a robust ecosystem.”
This announcement comes shortly after WinZO’s recent partnership with Ranveer Singh starrer Bollywood film “83” as the official sports brand partner. The brand also launched its multilingual brand campaign in close collaboration with Ogilvy’s global chief creative officer, Piyush Pandey.
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.
