The biggest social gaming and interactive entertainment platform in India, WinZO, has introduced Battle of Super Scholars (BOSS), its premier talent mentorship program. This initiative aims to mentor the nation’s brightest minds and equip them to drive India’s leadership in tech innovation, boost IP export-led growth of the sector, and solidify India’s position among the top global gaming markets. It is being carried out in partnership with India’s top six B-schools, namely IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, FMS Delhi, and ISB.

WinZO hopes to solve the cutting-edge problems affecting the gaming industry and encourage young product and tech talent to explore entrepreneurship through the BOSS program. India’s gaming industry has the potential to generate $60 billion in revenue and create over 2 million new jobs through a 20-fold increase in employment. BOSS is fostering and investing in India’s talent since the nation has the potential to become the world’s largest gaming market by revenue share because of its top-notch digital infrastructure, fascinating history, and skilled labor force. In his 78th Independence Day speech, the Honorable Prime Minister also emphasized India’s history, trained labor force, and digital infrastructure to position the country as the world leader in the gaming industry.

Approximately 2,000 students participated in the BOSS program in pairs, where they received guidance from professionals in the gaming business. The program’s initiatives were centered on reimagining classic game formats, investigating fresh revenue streams for online gaming, and upending the world market using Indian enterprises’ international development. To support WinZO’s strategic expansion, participants either created gaming items for the global market or carried out thorough market entry research, which boosted exports from India’s gaming sector. The winners were given the chance to join WinZO to further their interest in and knowledge of gaming, as well as a scholarship worth Rs 50 lakh. This program demonstrates WinZO’s dedication to encouraging entrepreneurship and innovation among the most brilliant minds in India to create consumer technology products that are “Made in India, for the World”.

With more than 3.3 billion users, the global industry for online gaming has topped $300 billion. With 600 million users, India makes up 20% of this user base and downloads 17% of all gaming apps worldwide. Nonetheless, India’s market share in the world market is still disproportionately small. If India can bridge the divide between its market share and user base by 2034, it might potentially seize a $60 billion opportunity. With the use of cutting-edge technologies like blockchain, AI, and VR, India’s 1400 gaming businesses have created over a lakh skilled jobs and grown the market to $3 billion.

WinZO continues to work closely with academic institutions to develop India’s talent for solving global tech challenges and conducting research in areas of strategic importance. The company has previously partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D), Delhi Technological University (DTU), Netaji Subhash University of Technology (NSUT), and IIIT-D to develop open-source technology to protect internet users against cyber actors.

Priyanka Dutta