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WinZO forays into micro dramas, enters US after RMG ban

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
WinZO forays into micro dramas, enters US after RMG ban
Medial

WinZO forays into micro dramas, enters US after RMG ban WinZO, the social gaming and entertainment platform, is expanding its playbook beyond real-money gaming (RMG) with a foray into micro dramas and subscription-led services, as it looks to navigate the government’s blanket ban on RMG in India. The company has also widened its global presence with a US debut, marking its third international market after Brazil. As part of its content push, WinZO has introduced WinZO TV, a new feature that serves up bite-sized drama shows for its 250 million users. The format delivers one to two-minute serialised videos, with initial episodes free to watch and later ones priced at Rs 2 each. With this, WinZO will face competition from Flick TV, Kuku FM’s Kuku TV, ShareChat’s QuickTV, Reel Saga, Reelies, Chai Bisket’s Chai Shots, and Eloelo. WinZO has raised over $100 million from marquee investors including Kalaari Capital, Griffin Gaming Partners, Makers Fund, and Courtside Ventures, and was last valued at around $340 million. While its RMG business faced significant headwinds due to regulatory changes and higher GST, the company has been seeking alternative monetisation avenues through subscriptions, in-app entertainment formats, and international expansion. WinZO’s expansion into the US comes nearly two years after its Brazil foray, aimed at reducing dependence on India following the introduction of a 28% GST regime on RMG apps. According to co-founders Saumya Singh Rathore and Paavan Nanda, the US launch will also allow Indian developers building culturally relevant games to reach a new global audience. For the fiscal year ending March 2024, WinZO reported a 70% year-on-year surge in operating revenue to Rs 1,055 crore, while its profit after tax (PAT) rose 2.5X to Rs 315 crore. The company outpaced its peers in revenue growth, compared to Nazara’s 4%, Zupee’s 34.9%, and MPL’s 22%. The government’s RMG ban is prompting many firms to explore alternative avenues. For context, Dream Sports, which owns Dream11, has ventured into wealth tech with Dream Money, letting users invest in digital gold and fixed deposits.

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RMG ban pushes Zupee to cut 170 jobs

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
RMG ban pushes Zupee to cut 170 jobs
Medial

Real-money gaming (RMG) platform Zupee has laid off around 170 employees, or about 30% of its workforce, as the company restructures operations following the government’s ban on RMG platforms. “This has been a tough call for us, but was necessary to adapt to the new regulatory framework. Our colleagues who are leaving us have been an integral part of Zupee’s journey and we will always remain thankful for their contribution in building Zupee into what it is today. We are providing comprehensive support to help our colleagues step seamlessly & with confidence into their next roles,” said Dilsher Singh Malhi, Founder & CEO of Zupee. As part of the separation package, Zupee is offering affected employees severance pay of up to six months, extended health benefits, and a Rs 1 crore medical support fund. The company has also promised priority rehiring for those impacted. The layoffs at Zupee come weeks after other RMG companies, including Head Digital Works (A23), MPL, Baazi Games, and Games24x7, cut hundreds of jobs following the ban. A23’s parent company recently let go of nearly 500 employees, or two-thirds of its staff. Founded in 2018 by Malhi and Siddhant Saurabh, Zupee had been among the leading players in the RMG space, claiming over 150 million registered users. With RMG now off the table, the company is pivoting to social and casual games, while also experimenting with subscription products such as Zupee Plus and original short-form content under Zupee Studio. Zupee’s revenue from operations grew by 35% year-on-year to Rs 1,123 crore in FY24 from Rs 832 crore in FY23. Moreover, it also turned profitable during the same period, posting a net profit of Rs 146 crore. Its FY25 report has yet to be released. The RMG ban has triggered a wave of layoffs across the sector, forcing companies to explore ad-driven and subscription-led monetisation models. Like Zupee, WinZo has forayed into microdramas, while Dream11’s parent has entered the wealth management space with its new app Dream Money.

Online gaming continues to grow, but GST change to “moderate” monetisation: report

Economic TimesEconomic Times · 1y ago
Online gaming continues to grow, but GST change to “moderate” monetisation: report
Medial

A report by Winzo and IEIC suggests that the recent increase in goods and services tax (GST) in India will "moderate" monetization per user in the gaming industry. Pay-to-play games have historically been the largest revenue source in the Indian gaming sector, but high tax burdens are expected to impact user monetization. The report predicts that the gaming industry will continue to grow in terms of user base, but this growth will not translate into equivalent monetization due to recent tax policies. The report also highlights the rise of non-real money gaming (RMG) games, with battle royale games gaining popularity in the country. The Indian gaming ecosystem is projected to reach a revenue of $6 billion by 2028, with non-RMG games occupying a larger share of the market.

Microdrama platform MiniPix raises Rs 2.4 Cr led by PedalStart

EntrackrEntrackr · 8d ago
Microdrama platform MiniPix raises Rs 2.4 Cr led by PedalStart
Medial

url: https://entrackr.com/snippets/microdrama-platform-minipix-raises-rs-24-cr-led-by-pedalstart-10980902. Content: Microdrama platform MiniPix raises Rs 2.4 Cr led by PedalStart. The round also saw participation from Venture Catalysts and angel investors Sandip Gupta and Rajdip Gupta, founders of Route Mobile, through SanRaj Family Ventures Pvt. Ltd. Bengaluru-based MiniPix, a mobile-first entertainment platform focused on short-form regional micro-dramas for Bharat audiences, has raised Rs 2.4 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by startup accelerator PedalStart. The funds will be used to strengthen product-market fit, scale high-quality regional content creation, and build a core execution-focused team. Founded in June 2025, MiniPix is building a premium platform centred on short, vertical micro-dramas designed for audiences in tier-II and tier-III India. The startup operates in the fast-growing short-form digital entertainment space. According to Redseer Strategy Consultants, India’s micro-drama and interactive content formats are expected to grow at a 50–70% CAGR, driven by rising smartphone penetration, low data costs, and increasing preference for regional-language content. Within six months of launch, the platform has crossed 100,000 app downloads, onboarded over 20,000 paying subscribers, and recorded more than 3 million episode views, translating into over 35,000 hours of content streamed. According to the company, it has achieved an annual recurring revenue of over Rs 3 crore. Currently focused on Bhojpuri micro-dramas, MiniPix plans to expand into five additional regional languages over the next two years. The company is also exploring selective use of AI-led tools to improve efficiency across content production and platform operations, while targeting ₹6 crore in annual recurring revenue by March 2026 as part of its growth roadmap.

ED freezes Rs 192 Cr linked to WinZO subsidiary in money laundering probe

EntrackrEntrackr · 14d ago
ED freezes Rs 192 Cr linked to WinZO subsidiary in money laundering probe
Medial

News All Stories ED freezes Rs 192 Cr linked to WinZO subsidiary in money laundering probe Last month, ED arrested WinZO co-founders Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore after search and seizure operations at company premises and residences. Shashank Pathak 01 Jan 2026 20:46 IST Follow Us The Directorate of Enforcement has frozen assets worth around Rs 192 crore classified as Proceeds of Crime (POC) belonging to Zo Games Pvt Ltd, a wholly owned Indian subsidiary of WinZO Pvt Ltd, after conducting a search operation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. The assets were frozen in the form of bank balances, fixed deposits, and mutual funds, the ED said in a press release. The agency stated that evidence pointed to deceptive gaming practices on the WinZO platform, where users were made to play real money games against bots and algorithm-driven personas without disclosure. The probe also found that withdrawals of user funds were restricted or prevented in certain cases. So far, the ED has identified total Proceeds of Crime of around Rs 802 crore in the case. Earlier, in November 2025, the ED arrested WinZO co-founders Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore after search and seizure operations at company premises and residences. These actions followed the freeze of assets worth over Rs 505 crore under the PMLA. The assets included bank balances, fixed deposits, mutual funds, and other financial instruments linked to the company and its related entities. The investigation is based on multiple FIRs and hundreds of user complaints that allege manipulation of gameplay, misuse of customer data, non-refund of user funds, and continuation of real money gaming activities despite regulatory restrictions. Investigators said user funds remained with the platform even after restrictions on real money gaming came into force. The ED has also flagged overseas fund movements, with part of the alleged Proceeds of Crime routed to the US and Singapore as overseas investments. Funds worth $54 million were found parked in a US bank account held by WINZO US Inc. The WinZO case forms part of a wider enforcement phase in 2025. During the year, the ED initiated action against startup-origin companies such as Dream11, Gameskraft, Probo, Paytm, Myntra, Simpl, and OctaFX under money laundering, FEMA, and foreign-exchange related probes.

Exclusive: Kavin Mittal’s Hike shuts down operations completely

EntrackrEntrackr · 4m ago
Exclusive: Kavin Mittal’s Hike shuts down operations completely
Medial

Exclusive: Kavin Mittal’s Hike shuts down operations completely After 13 years of operations, Hike is shutting down completely, including its US business, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Kavin Mittal informed investors in an email on Saturday. Mittal said the decision follows the recent ban on real money gaming (RMG) in India, which shortened the company’s runway from seven months to just four months. “After much reflection and speaking with a few of you, I’ve decided to wind down Hike operations completely, including the US,” he wrote. Entrackr has reviewed the copy of the email. Soon after the RMG ban in India, Mittal had announced that the company would exit the country to focus on the United States and other global markets such as the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. However, the decision to shut down entirely has come as an unexpected move for the gaming industry. The company, which started as Hike Messenger and pivoted to Rush, scaled to 10 million users and generated $500 million in gross revenue in four years. Despite the growth, Mittal said the challenges of taxes, regulation battles, and the India ban made continuation unviable. “Is it worth it? For the first time in 13 years of building Hike, my answer is no,” he said, adding that the company may have been too early for its vision of building a gaming nation, while also pointing to better opportunities in AI and other frontier technologies. According to Mittal, Hike has around $4 million left on its balance sheet, which will be used to settle vendor costs and employee severance. Any leftover funds will be returned to investors. Mittal acknowledged the fatigue within the broader team after years of pivots and regulatory hurdles. “RMG was never the destination. It was a means to prove unit economics and unlock the bigger vision. But we got locked into the Indian market in a tax/regulation battle,” he said. Reflecting on the journey, Mittal noted milestones such as Hike Messenger reaching 40 million MAUs and becoming one of India’s most loved consumer brands. He described the shutdown as a disappointment but emphasized the learnings as “invaluable.” Looking ahead, Mittal said he plans to focus on new frontiers like AI, energy, and personal growth. “This chapter ends, but the climb continues,” he wrote, assuring investors that Hike will be closed responsibly.

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