Gaming
Zupee Partners with KBC for ghar baithe jeeto jackpot contest
MUMBAI: Marketers could learn from this collab between Sony and skill-based gaming platform Zupee on how to acquire customers and retain them. The two have partnered to increase stickiness for the Amitabh Bachchan-hosted millionaire (in India it is the crorepati ) show, Kaun Banega Crorepati.
Titled, ‘ghar baithe jeeto jackpot’ contest, offering viewers a chance to win cash prizes by showcasing their knowledge and skills.
The contest, which began on 24 January 2025, awards Rs 1 lakh each to five winners every week. Participants can join from the comfort of their homes by answering questions aired “during” KBC episodes. (So obviously those eager to pocket the Rs 1 lakh will do more than watch, they probably will watch the episodes with a magnifying glass and volume on full.)
Zupee COO Akanksha Dhamija, said: “Our aim is to make skill-based games accessible to everyone. The ‘ghar baithe jeeto jackpot‘ contest offers millions the chance to win big by leveraging their knowledge and skills.”
Sony Pictures Network India head of sales for network channels Sandeep Mehrotra added: “KBC has always celebrated knowledge and aspiration. This collaboration with Zupee enhances viewer engagement, making the dream of winning big more accessible.”
To participate, viewers must download the Zupee app, tune in to KBC on Sony Entertainment Television every Friday at 9 pm, and submit answers via the app by Monday midnight. Winners are announced during the following Friday’s episode, with a new question aired weekly.
Zupee, founded in 2018 by IIT Kanpur alumni Dilsher Singh Malhi and Siddhant Saurabh, is India’s largest skill-based ludo platform. The company is backed by investors such as WestCap Group, Matrix Partners India, and Orios Venture Partners.
This collaboration marks a new chapter in interactive entertainment, bringing together Zupee’s expertise in skill-based gaming and KBC’s knowledge-driven format to reward Indian viewers
Gaming
Dream Sports sees 100 plus exits after gaming ban forces overhaul
Company splits into eight units as real money gaming law hits revenue.
MUMBAI: For a company built on fantasy leagues, reality has suddenly rewritten the rulebook. More than 100 employees have exited Dream Sports, the parent of Dream11, after the company reorganised its operations following India’s ban on real money online gaming. The shake up came after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 came into force in August 2025, prohibiting games where users deposit money expecting winnings. The regulation struck at the heart of the fantasy gaming industry and dramatically affected Dream Sports’ core business, wiping out about 95 percent of its revenue and all of its profits.
In response, the Mumbai based company shifted into what chief executive officer Harsh Jain described as “startup mode”, splitting its operations into eight independent business units in December.
Around 700 employees were reassigned across these newly formed ventures based on their experience and interests. However, roughly 15 percent opted to leave the company.
A spokesperson for Dream Sports said many of those who exited were experienced professionals accustomed to running scaled businesses rather than early stage ventures.
“Since some of these employees were experienced with running high scale businesses and not startups, around 15 percent chose to leave and join other scaled companies or start ventures of their own,” the spokesperson said.
Despite the departures, the company noted that the attrition rate is only slightly higher than its earlier level of around 10 percent before the ban. Dream Sports now has close to 950 employees and is not currently hiring, choosing instead to focus on stabilising its existing workforce.
The restructuring has transformed Dream Sports from a fantasy gaming company into a broader sports entertainment platform. The eight units now operate independently, each focusing on different segments of the sports and technology ecosystem.
These include Dream11, sports streaming platform Fancode, sports travel service DreamSetGo, mobile game Dream Cricket and artificial intelligence initiative Dream Sports AI, which includes sports analytics platform Dream Play.
Other ventures include fintech product Dream Money, open source initiative Dream Horizon and the philanthropic arm Dream Sports Foundation.
As part of cost saving efforts, Dream Sports also relocated its headquarters from Bandra Kurla Complex to Worli earlier this year. The new office, called Dream Sports Stadium, brings teams from its various brands together under one roof to improve collaboration and operational efficiency.
Jain had earlier said the company removed bonus lock in timelines for employees hired in recent years, allowing those who wished to leave to exit with pro rata payouts.
“We want people who are fully into the startup mode and willing to work for it, and we will share that reward if it comes,” he said.
Founded in 2008 by Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth, Dream Sports was last valued at 8 billion dollars after raising 840 million dollars in 2021 from investors including Falcon Edge Capital, DST Global, D1 Capital Partners, RedBird Capital Partners, Tiger Global Management, TPG and Footpath Ventures.
The new gaming law has forced several companies in the fantasy gaming sector to either shut down or pivot their business models, signalling a significant reset for one of India’s fastest growing digital entertainment industries.
