BUSINESS
A23 owner Head Digital Works forays into online poker ahead of the 28% GST rollout
Head Digital Works expects online poker to make up nearly 20 percent of its revenues over the next three years
BUSINESS
Google deepens Bard AI chatbot's integration with Gmail, Docs, YouTube, more
Users can now enable Bard to interact with their Gmail, Docs and Drive accounts to summarize and answer questions across their personal content.
BUSINESS
Gameskraft ‘temporarily deprioritises’ super app plan in favour of building standalone apps
Gameskraft has launched super app Gamezy's rummy and ludo offerings as standalone apps while its fantasy offering will not be available from September 18
BUSINESS
Pokemon Go gets Hindi support amid big India push
As part of this launch, The Pokemon Company has renamed over 800 Pokemon in Hindi, in a bid to make them more relatable for the Indian fans.
TRENDS
Netflix strikes multi-year partnership with Yash Raj Films to bolster its original programming
As part of this tie-up, Netflix, Yash Raj Films will work together to create films and series that bring "defining stories" to audiences in India and across the world, the company said in a statement.
BUSINESS
Disney+ Hotstar hits new milestone as India vs Pakistan Asia Cup match draws 28 million viewers
Disney+ Hotstar has surpassed its previous record of 25.3 million concurrent viewers, which was set during the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup
BUSINESS
SC ruling on Gameskraft GST case could decide fate of India's real-money gaming industry
The skill-based gaming industry, which will now pay higher GST, will be further hit if the Supreme Court ruling is unfavourable, making them pay retrospective GST liabilities.
BUSINESS
Instagram's Threads rolls out keyword search to India, US and others
Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said the search feature will now be available in most English and Spanish speaking countries with more countries to follow
BUSINESS
Nazara Technologies to raise Rs 410 crore from SBI Mutual Fund
This fundraise comes on heels of Nazara Technologies issuing shares of up to Rs 100 crore to Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath's two firms - Kamath Associates and NKSquared.
TRENDS
Gameskraft case: SC stays Karnataka HC's judgment quashing Rs 21,000 cr GST notice
In September 2022, a GST intelligence unit issued a show-cause notice to Gameskraft Technology alleging that the company failed to pay Rs 21,000 crore in GST, the biggest such claim in the history of indirect taxation.
BUSINESS
Google to allow real-money games on Play Store after implementation of gaming rules
Google is providing a grace period for daily fantasy and rummy apps on Play Store until January 15, 2024, as the year-long real-money gaming pilot is set to end in September.
BUSINESS
After Zerodha’s Kamath, Nazara Tech to raise more capital to scale up its verticals, says Nitish Mittersain
A big focus area for Nazara Technologies is growing its portfolio of gaming IPs through acquisitions in the future.
BUSINESS
Garena postpones Free Fire India launch by a few weeks
Garena, the gaming arm of Singapore-based Sea Limited, said it is taking some time to fully complete its localisation of the Free Fire India experience, besides refining the gameplay.
BUSINESS
Krafton’s BGMI gets Indian government nod after 3-month trial
Krafton resumed the operations of its popular battle royale game Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) on a three-month trial basis in May 2023.
BUSINESS
Google brings its generative AI search experience to India
Google is also introducing a slew of India-focused features within the AI search experience including voice input, language toggle, and the ability to listen to the responses.
BUSINESS
Ahead of Asia Cup, Ashneer Grover's CrickPe debuts paid subscriptions with zero platform fees
The launch comes at a time when India's real-money gaming industry has been hit hard by the government's decision to impose a whopping 28 percent GST on player deposits
BUSINESS
Indian gaming industry to shape entertainment for next generation: JetSynthesys' Rajan Navani
Gaming-led entertainment as a global play out of India will be the key focus area for JetSynthesys for the next 3-5 years, Navani said.
BUSINESS
Snap appoints former Google executive Pulkit Trivedi as India managing director
Snapchat parent also unveiled a new operational structure wherein all local teams will directly report to Pulkit Trivedi
BUSINESS
YouTube launches Music AI incubator with Universal Music Group in generative AI push
Universal Music artists, songwriters and producers will explore, experiment and offer feedback on YouTube's AI-related music tools and product experiments.
BUSINESS
Online poker platform Spartan Poker lays off 125 people after 28% GST blow
Spartan Poker joins a list of companies including Mobile Premier League and Hike's Rush Gaming who have cut jobs after the government's 28 percent GST on the real-money gaming sector.
BUSINESS
Nazara Technologies to invest $500,000 in Israeli gaming startup Snax Games
Nazara Technologies has also acquired exclusive rights to publish the Israeli startup's games in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East on a revenue-sharing basis for five years
BUSINESS
IndiGG owner Kratos Studios ramps up global expansion with Brazil launch
Founded by ex-Nazara CEO Manish Agarwal, the community-based gaming startup claims to have disbursed Rs 5 crore among 1.5 lakh gamers in India in 6 months.
BUSINESS
Explained: GST Council’s 28% tax on India’s real-money gaming sector
What are the key differences between the proposed GST levy and the current regime for online real-money gaming sector and who will be the most impacted? We take a look
BUSINESS
Hike's Rush Gaming Universe axes 55 jobs as 28% GST bites
These cutbacks represent about 22 percent of the company's workforce
