Gaming Industry India

Roblox appoints former AWS senior executive Sunil Rao as MD for India

Gaming company Roblox has appointed former Amazon Web Services senior executive Sunil Rao as Managing Director for its India arm, the company said on Thursday. Rao will serve as Roblox's senior representative and market lead in the country, overseeing day-to-day execution of Roblox India's strategy working with local teams and partners, the company said in a statement. "Roblox announces the appointment of Sunil Rao as Managing Director, Roblox India. Rao will join Roblox India this May to help strengthen the company's local presence in the country, foster partnerships, support the creator ecosystem and align local market needs with global product and business priorities," the statement said. Rao was previously part of the leadership team at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he led strategy and corporate business development across the Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) region. Prior to AWS, Rao was a partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, where he worked closely with founders and emergin

Govt notifies online gaming rules, to set up governing authority

The government has notified online gaming rules mandating user safety features and grievance redressal, with new norms set to come into effect from May 1

Nazara Technologies to raise ₹500 crore via preferential warrants

Gaming firm plans Rs 500 crore fundraise via preferential warrants to back acquisitions such as Bluetile and BestPlay and accelerate growth across business verticals

India's gaming boom on rise but addiction oversight struggles to match pace

India has embraced gaming as an industry while the behavioural systems required to manage addiction are still evolving

Gaming industry body forms council to boost governance, policy advocacy

The Game Developers Association of India has formed a 21-member governing council to strengthen governance, policy engagement, skilling initiatives and original IP creation in gaming

PM Modi says gaming a skill, not just hobby; warns students against betting

Gaming is not just a hobby but a skill, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told students on Friday as he cautioned them against games that involve online betting. Interacting with school students during his annual 'Pariksha Pe Charcha', Modi said gaming can be a meaningful skill and career path if pursued with focus, balance and ethical values. He, however, warned students against games that involve online betting. "...Gaming is not just a hobby; it is a skill, it involves speed as well. So it is good for development. Try to find your expertise by choosing better quality gaming," he said. Modi said gaming contributes to self-development and urged students to "focus on building expertise" in high-quality gaming and balance studies. He cautioned against gambling in gaming, noting that laws have been enacted to prevent such practices. "Don't just waste time because the internet is cheap in India. I have made a law against betting. We will not let that happen..." To a student who asked abo

Draft policy paves way for eSports' pan-Indian play, gaming reforms

It will, however, take a lot more than formal recognition from the government or sponsors to bring e-sports to the grassroots, according to experts and industry players

Gameskraft lays off 120 staff after real money gaming ban in India

Gameskraft has laid off 120 employees as the online gaming ban shutters its core real-money business, extending health cover till March 2026 and pledging re-hiring priority

Krafton India to launch third edition of gaming incubator KIGI on Sept 20

Krafton India will open registrations for the third edition of its gaming incubator programme, KIGI, on September 20 to support local studios with funding, mentorship, and resources

Zupee launches Studio short video platform after RMG ban in India

Zupee has launched Zupee Studio, a short video content platform with 1-3 min episodes, weeks after India banned all forms of real money gaming nationwide

Gameskraft reports decline in net profit after ₹231 crore siphoning case

Online gaming firm Gameskraft Technologies Ltd has filed a police complaint against its former CFO for allegedly siphoning off over Rs 231 crore -- whose write-off led to a decline in the company's FY25 net profit. The Bengaluru-based firm on Friday reported a net profit of Rs 706 crore on a revenue of Rs 4,009 crore in the fiscal year 2024-25 (April 2024 to March 2025). This compared with Rs 947 crore net profit on a revenue of Rs 3,475 crore in the previous year. The company said FY25 was the first full year of 28 per cent GST tax on its operations. The previous year earning was factoring in a six-month impact of the newly introduced GST regime for the online gaming sector. The 2024-25 profit was also impacted by "a one-time accounting adjustment of past unsanctioned transactions amounting to approximately Rs 231 crore," it said in a statement. While the company did not elaborate on the nature of unsanctioned transactions, sources with knowledge of the matter said the write-off .

A23 parent Head Digital Works moves K'taka HC against new online gaming law

The company's move comes as most of its competitors, including Zupee, Dream11 parent Dream Sports, Pokerbaazi parent firm Moonshine Technology, and Gameskraft, have decided against opposing the law

Gameskraft suspends Rummy Culture, will not challenge India's RMG ban

Gameskraft, operator of Rummy Culture, has suspended all RMG services and said it will not legally challenge the new gaming ban while ensuring user withdrawals remain available

Nodwin Gaming acquires Sony's stake in e-sports event Championship Evo

Nodwin Gaming acquires a majority stake in Evo, expanding its presence in the global fighting games e-sports market.

Casual gaming market set to gain from govt's ban on RMG platforms

The government's blanket ban on real money gaming platforms may shift demand towards casual, midcore and AAA titles that rely on in-app purchases and advertising for growth

RMG platforms suspend paid contests to comply with new gaming law

Real money gaming apps like Dream11, Zupee, and Probo suspend paid contests following the passing of the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, which introduces severe penalties.

Real-money gaming dealt a losing hand as crackdown follows ₹20,000 cr blow

Experts and industry players warn that the move could backfire by driving users toward unregulated offshore betting platforms

Lok Sabha clears Bill to ban real-money gaming: Countdown begins

Cleared by the Union Cabinet on Tuesday, the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha earlier in day. Senior officials described it as a balanced measure, defending the government's decision to outlaw RMG

Real money gaming firms on shaky grounds after increased 40% GST

Real money gaming firms say a proposed 40 per cent GST could drive users offshore or force closures, adding to the stress already caused by the 28 per cent levy imposed in 2023

Nazara's stake in Nodwin to drop below 50% after internal fundraise

Nazara Technologies will cease to hold a majority stake in Nodwin Gaming after opting out of the latter's internal fundraise, but remains its largest shareholder