Entrepreneurs
Afsar Ahmad and Govind Agarwal: The IIT Graduates Behind India’s Mobile Gaming Success Story
In a world where mobile gaming has captured the hearts and screens of millions, two enterprising IIT graduates, Afsar Ahmad and Govind Agarwal, have been at the forefront of this revolution. Co-founders of Gameberry Labs, the duo has made a significant mark in the mobile gaming industry with their popular games, Ludo Star and Parchisi Star. Afsar Ahmad and Govind Agarwal’s journey into the mobile gaming world began during their time at IIT-Kharagpur. With a shared passion for creating engaging and timeless mobile games, they set out to develop games that would resonate with players of all ages. Their vision was clear: they aimed to build games that people would cherish and grow old with.
Their entrepreneurial journey commenced in 2017 when they founded Gameberry Labs. Recognizing the growing craze for Ludo in India, the co-founders decided to launch Ludo Star. Leaving their conventional jobs behind, they embarked on a mission to bring classic board games to mobile devices while fostering social connections between friends and family, even across vast distances. Fast forward to today, Gameberry Labs boasts two immensely popular social multiplayer games, Ludo Star and Parchisi Star. These games have garnered over 200 million downloads and an impressive user base of more than 5 million daily active players. With their engaging gameplay and social features, these games have succeeded in providing players with an avenue to unwind, connect, and compete with others, adding a touch of joy to their daily lives.
In an industry previously dominated by Western developers, Gameberry Labs and similar Indian game developers have tapped into the pulse of Indian gamers. They have introduced games that resonate with the diverse Indian audience, transforming the gaming landscape in the process. Roland Landers, CEO of the All India Gaming Federation, acknowledges the groundbreaking work of developers like Gameberry Labs. He highlights that these companies are disrupting the gaming market in ways that were previously unimaginable, primarily by understanding and catering to the unique tastes of Indian gamers.
Gameberry Labs’ journey to success has been marked by remarkable growth. While the initial years from 2017 to 2019 exhibited steady growth, the company’s fortunes soared in 2020 and 2021. Last November, they celebrated crossing the $100-million mark in lifetime revenue. Despite the stiff competition in the mobile gaming space, Gameberry Labs has managed to set itself apart. The company’s profitability from the first year of operations and robust financial performance have allowed them to remain bootstrapped, with no reliance on venture capital funding. Their free-to-play business model, with in-game virtual currency called ‘gems’ for optional dice re-rolls, has driven their revenue. In-app purchases (IAPs) and rewarded ads contribute significantly to their earnings, with 70% of the revenue generated from IAPs.
Gameberry Labs has extended its presence to global markets, with Saudi Arabia, the US, and Spain ranking as the company’s top revenue markets. In addition to Ludo Star and Parchisi Star, the company is currently beta-testing two new games, Backgammon Friends and Word League, in Turkey and the UK. What sets Gameberry Labs apart is its deep understanding of player versus player (PvP) dynamics in mobile gaming. The company’s games are designed to appeal to players’ core motivations for engaging in PvP gaming, coupled with a monetization strategy that enhances player retention rather than hinders it.
Ludo Star, in particular, has transcended its role as a mere game and has evolved into a platform that connects and bonds people. Players have found life partners, reconnected with lost friends, and strengthened family ties through the game. The board in Gameberry’s games often tells a story, making the gaming experience more than just entertainment. Afsar Ahmad and Govind Agarwal’s commitment to providing players with a platform for connection and entertainment has indeed struck a chord with mobile gamers, making Gameberry Labs a trailblazer in the Indian gaming industry. In the coming 12-14 months, the company intends to double its team size and further invest in technology creation, ensuring that they continue to bring innovative and engaging games to players worldwide.
With over 500 million mobile gamers expected in India by 2023-24, the mobile gaming sector is rapidly emerging as a powerhouse within the media and entertainment industry. Industry experts believe that gaming and the metaverse will play a central role in India’s media and entertainment economy in the next decade. Afsar Ahmad, Govind Agarwal, and their company, Gameberry Labs, exemplify the potential and growth of India’s mobile gaming industry, making them pioneers in the quest to provide engaging and innovative entertainment to a diverse and ever-growing audience.
BUSINESS
Empowering Women in Dubai’s Real Estate Market: The Vision and Journey of Leedwells Real Estate and Boon Stay
In the dynamic and competitive real estate market of Dubai, where male dominance has traditionally been the norm, a new wave of female empowerment is making significant strides. Among the frontrunners of this movement is Leedwells Real Estate, a company established in 2021 with a mission to revolutionize the property market. Recently, in 2024, they expanded their vision with the launch of Boon Stay, a company dedicated to the holiday home concept. Together, these sister companies are committed to fostering a more inclusive and diverse industry.
Leedwells Real Estate: A Clear Vision for Real Estate
Founded in 2021, Leedwells Real Estate has consistently demonstrated excellence in the property market, leveraging over 12 years of industry experience. Led by CEO Aman Kaur and Managing Director Arshe Noor, Leedwells Real Estate has solidified its reputation as a reliable and innovative real estate agency in Dubai. Their dedication to client satisfaction and market expertise ensures that clients receive personalized services tailored to their unique needs.
Championing Women Empowerment
In an industry largely dominated by male professionals, Leedwells Real Estate stands out for its commitment to empowering women. Aman Kaur and Arshe Noor recognize the success and contributions of numerous female professionals in the real estate sector. By promoting diversity and inclusion, they aim to pave the way for more women to achieve remarkable milestones in their careers.
Expanding Horizons: Boon Stay
Building on the success of Leedwells Real Estate, Aman Kaur and Arshe Noor launched Boon Stay in 2024 to address the growing demand for holiday homes in Dubai. Recognizing the city as a global travel hub, Boon Stay offers a comprehensive platform where travelers can find luxurious accommodations and curated experiences. The company’s approach mirrors popular services like Airbnb, but with a distinctive focus on luxury and personalized service.
Boon Stay’s unique business model not only caters to holidaymakers but also serves investors looking to capitalize on Dubai’s lucrative real estate market. The company offers comprehensive investment opportunities, enabling clients to generate substantial revenue through strategic property investments. This dual approach of catering to both travelers and investors sets Boon Stay apart in the competitive landscape.
A Holistic Experience
For visitors to Dubai, Boon Stay promises a seamless and luxurious experience. From arranging premium accommodations to organizing bespoke luxury trips, the company ensures that every aspect of the client’s stay is meticulously handled. This all-encompassing service guarantees a memorable and stress-free holiday, allowing guests to fully immerse themselves in the vibrant culture and opulence of Dubai.
Future Prospects
As Leedwells Real Estate and Boon Stay continue to expand, their vision remains clear: to create a more diverse, inclusive, and successful real estate market in Dubai. By empowering women and providing unparalleled services to both travelers and investors, these companies are set to redefine industry standards and contribute to Dubai’s reputation as a premier destination for real estate and luxury living.
In conclusion, Leedwells Real Estate and Boon Stay exemplify the transformative power of diversity and innovation in Dubai’s real estate market. Through the unwavering commitment of Aman Kaur and Arshe Noor to excellence and empowerment, they are not only achieving remarkable growth but also inspiring a new generation of female leaders in the industry.
Entrepreneurs
The WittyFeed Triumph: Vinay Singhal, Parveen Singhal, and Shashank Vaishnav’s Journey to Content Dominance
Vinay Singhal, Parveen Singhal, and Shashank Vaishnav have created a stunning success story with WittyFeed in the digital world, where content is king. Rising from the ashes of failed businesses, these computer experts changed course and built the second-largest content platform globally, only surpassed by BuzzFeed. This piece explores the story of these visionary founders and how WittyFeed rose to prominence in the content industry.
In 2013, faced with the setbacks of two unsuccessful ventures, Vinay, Parveen, and Shashank decided to stay the course. Ditching Evrystry.com and FollowMe247, they envisioned a content platform that catered to the needs of content creators, distributors, and consumers. This vision materialized in September 2014 with the launch of WittyFeed—a platform that rapidly ascended the ranks to become the third-most visited website in the Indian entertainment category.
For Vinay Singhal, WittyFeed is not just a content platform; it’s a technology play. Leveraging robust technology and analytics, WittyFeed ensures its content goes viral by intricately guiding content selection, creation, distribution, and monetization. Real-time data analysis and insights into user behavior empower thousands of influencers to disseminate content, making WittyFeed a formidable player in the global content arena.
WittyFeed’s strategic foresight extends to its strong network of influencers, positioning the platform years ahead of its competitors. Recognizing influencers as the distributors in the digital world, WittyFeed created Viral9.com—an influencer platform with around 15,000 influencers. These influencers, with millions of followers, redirect traffic to WittyFeed, creating a symbiotic relationship that propels the platform’s reach.
WittyFeed’s impact transcends borders, with a presence in Spain, the US, and the UK, while rapidly gaining traction in India. The platform boasts over 100 million sessions and 60 million unique visitors monthly, generating revenues of ₹30 crore in FY17. Programmatic advertising forms a significant revenue stream, complemented by sponsored content collaborations with around 70 brands, including Uber, Coca-Cola, and Zee Studios. By endearing itself to brands, WittyFeed aims to derive 40 percent of its revenues from brand partnerships.
While WittyFeed has thrived, the platform remains vigilant about potential challenges, especially as Facebook’s algorithms evolve. Vinay emphasizes the importance of steering clear of click-bait and focusing on quality content to maintain a symbiotic relationship with Facebook. Future strategies include the integration of video content, fostering collaborations with mobile apps, and seeking a series A funding round for expansion.
The success of WittyFeed lies in the synergy of its founders—Parveen Singhal, Vinay Singhal, and Shashank Vaishnav. Parveen, the Chief Content Officer, envisions video content as the next growth frontier. Vinay, with a knack for building solutions, steers the technology-driven aspects, while Shashank, the Chief Technology Officer, brings real-time data analytics to the forefront.
As WittyFeed charts a course toward greater heights, its founders remain attuned to the evolving nature of digital consumption. Vinay Singhal encapsulates the essence of their journey, emphasizing the imperative of staying at the forefront of change. The triumvirate’s journey from the brink of failure to commanding one of the world’s largest content platforms is not just a success story; it’s a testament to resilience, innovation, and the power of strategic vision. In an ever-evolving digital landscape, WittyFeed and its founders stand poised for continued impact and influence.
Entrepreneurs
Rahul Narang and Saurabh Arora: Architects of Healthcare Transformation at Lybrate
Rahul Narang and Saurabh Arora‘s combined genius is evident in the rapidly changing field of healthcare innovation as they lead Lybrate, a ground-breaking online platform for medical consultations. The story takes place against the backdrop of Saurabh Arora, who attended Columbia Business School and IIT Delhi before purposefully changing his course. 2014 saw Arora leave his position as a data scientist at Facebook in Silicon Valley in order to pursue his homegrown business goals. This crucial choice launched Lybrate in 2015, a platform that has the potential to completely transform patient-doctor relations.
Arora’s vision for Lybrate germinated during a visit to India, where he keenly observed the challenges posed by self-medication in rural areas and the inconveniences faced by urban denizens. Fueled by a determination to bridge these gaps, Arora enlisted the expertise of his former colleague and friend, Rahul Narang, who assumed the role of co-founder and chief technology officer at Lybrate.
The platform, operating as an online out-patient department (OPD), strategically deploys technology to enhance the accessibility of quality healthcare across India. Arora’s mission was to seamlessly connect patients and doctors, transcending geographical constraints. In less than three years, Lybrate has garnered over 1 lakh registered doctors, facilitating upwards of 6 million interactions monthly. These interactions span doctor searches, health queries, and appointments for consultations and lab tests.
The triumph of Lybrate can be attributed to its innovative approach and meticulous planning. Arora underscores the critical importance of aligning the product with the workflow of doctors, fostering positive word-of-mouth recommendations. The nascent stages involved securing funding, with Gokul Rajaram, a luminary in developing Google’s AdSense network, playing a pivotal role. Lybrate secured a seed round of $1.23 million from Nexus Venture Partners, Rajaram, and independent investor Vispi Daver in August 2014. A subsequent funding round in July 2015 saw a commitment of $10.2 million from Tiger Global, Nexus Venture Partners, and Ratan Tata, propelling Lybrate’s mission to new heights.
The healthcare landscape in India presents a formidable challenge, marked by a concerning doctor-patient ratio of 1:1,700, as highlighted by a joint report from KPMG and Ficci. What sets Lybrate apart is its unwavering focus on alleviating the doctor shortage. The platform’s workflow begins with anonymous health-related queries from patients, evolving into online or offline consultations as comfort levels with the doctors on the platform grow.
Lybrate’s distinctive patient engagement model places the patient at the center, offering access to a comprehensive spectrum of healthcare services. This strategic differentiator positions Lybrate favorably against Practo, its major competitor, which primarily functions as a doctor discovery platform. While Practo concentrates on appointment scheduling, Lybrate is committed to transforming the patient-doctor interaction and propelling it into the digital realm.
Despite the myriad challenges, Lybrate has achieved a commendable turnover of over ₹22.45 crore in FY15-16, with aspirations to reach ₹25 crore in the current fiscal year. The platform boasts various revenue streams, including ‘Lybrate Consult,’ allowing users to consult preferred doctors for a fee. ‘Lybrate Lab+’ and ‘Lybrate Cube’ contribute significantly to the company’s revenue by facilitating lab tests and providing tools for doctors to enhance their online presence.
As the health tech industry witnesses an influx of competitors, Lybrate’s early entry into the fray positions it as a frontrunner. However, challenges persist, and success in this dynamic landscape hinges on delivering a substantial value proposition for both patients and doctors. The journey of Rahul Narang and Saurabh Arora with Lybrate symbolizes a commitment to quality and innovation, marking the advent of a new era in online healthcare solutions.
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