Sai Srinivas He is the co-founder and CEO of Mobile Premier League (MPL), which is claimed to be Asia’s largest eSports and skill gaming platform. he co-founded mpl in 2018 with Shubham Malhotra, with whom he previously co-founded the hardware streaming company Teevee. Srinivas is an alumnus of IIT Kanpur. His tryst with gaming began at Zynga in Bengaluru, where he worked as an Associate Game Designer and Associate Product Manager. He is also the co-founder of Creo Tech and was its CEO for a brief period. Srinivas spoke to Times of India on the company’s plans, new gaming regulations and more. Excerpts:
Let’s start with an overview of your business performance over the past year, how has it been?
In the past year, MPL has experienced remarkable growth, with our net revenue increasing by an impressive 80% compared to FY2022. Notably, we achieved profitability in December 2022, and we see it continuing in subsequent months as well.
This trajectory can be attributed to a few key factors, an unwavering focus on growth, a player-first mindset in everything we do, and disciplined cost management. We prioritized reducing infrastructure costs while accommodating the growing user base, resulting in lower cost per active user. We have introduced several industry-leading features that put the safety of our players at the forefront. Additionally, we developed in-house infrastructure for data analytics, reducing reliance on costly SaaS solutions and enabling full integration of data capabilities. By continuing with these strategies, we are confident in our ability to strengthen our market share and strengthen our position.
Can you give some insight into the company’s strategy to grow its market share in the highly competitive gaming space?
Our long-term goal is to establish ourselves as a leading global gaming hub, and we have already taken significant steps in this direction. We have recently expanded our reach to Africa with our entry into Nigeria. In addition, we have achieved a strong presence in Asia, North America and Europe, with an impressive user base of over 200 million. To cater to diverse gaming markets and appeal to a wide range of players around the world, MPL offers various options such as paid competitive gaming, free-to-play, and we have recently entered into AAA game development and Web3 gaming. have entered.
To stand out in the global gaming landscape, we place great importance on adopting a player-centric approach. Our primary focus is to prioritize the needs and preferences of the players, thereby ensuring an exceptional gaming experience. By thoroughly understanding the desires of gamers from different regions and cultures, we customize our offerings to meet their specific interests and demands.
What are the plans or initiatives to further strengthen your presence in MPL? Indian gaming sector,
We aim to establish ourselves as a gaming powerhouse, catering to all aspects of gaming. We have a strong Paid Competitive Gaming (PCG) portfolio and envision that we can become the largest player in the PCG space not only in India but globally. Apart from this, we have other ambitious plans to establish presence in other aspects of gaming. Last year, we launched Mayhem, our first AAA gaming studio, to create world-class titles and announced our flagship game, Underworld Gang Wars. While I am unable to disclose specific details about the game at this time, our team is working diligently on development, and it is currently in the alpha phase.
We have also recently entered Web3 gaming through our digital asset marketplace, GGX, and we see immense potential in this rapidly growing space. Our team is working on the opportunities that Web3 technology offers. We’ve seen promising results so far with the first game we launched on our platform, Striker. I think people will be pleasantly surprised by the achievements of Indian builders in comparison to their more widely recognized western counterparts.
MPL is present in four continents, what challenges do you see in this expansion and how has the journey been so far? Any plans to expand to other geographies?
Our goal has always been to create a global platform, and expanding into different regions has been a strategic step in that direction. Currently, India contributes around 70% of our revenue, while the remaining 30% comes from outside India.
While we understand that we may face some challenges along the way, we are committed to learning from them and growing profitably. One significant advantage we have is that we have built a strong gaming platform in India. With a large and diverse user base, our services were battle-tested here, providing us with valuable insights and preparing us to expand to other countries. This enabled us to handle scale and operate more smoothly in new markets.
As far as future plans go, we want to continue to expand our global presence either through partnerships or through direct entry into other markets – and do so profitably. By the end of next year, we believe we will have established our presence in at least one more geographic region, and potentially more if conditions are favorable.
What factors do you think have contributed to the growth of gaming and eSports in India in recent years?
Gaming and eSports have a dedicated fan base in India and over the past 2-3 years, the industry has seen a steady shift into the mainstream. Wide availability of affordable smartphones and high-speed internet access has allowed millions of Indian gamers, beyond just metros, to engage in online gaming and participate in competitive eSports tournaments.
Additionally, India boasts of the world’s largest youth population as well as a growing, dynamic talent pool of game developers who are creating high-quality games. The rising popularity and achievements of Indian eSports personalities on the global stage have also inspired and inspired a new generation of gamers. The remarkable performance of Indian players in international tournaments has attracted attention and investment in the e-sports industry within the country.
As we look forward, the recently introduced gaming regulations will further fuel the growth of this industry. These regulations are in line with the vision of the Prime Minister of India to establish the country as a major player in the global gaming landscape.
With the introduction of regulatory bodies and certification process for games of skill, how do you see these regulations affecting the gaming industry?
The new regulations are indeed a positive development for the gaming industry. While this will certainly help companies like MPL by bringing clarity and stability, it will also create a level-playing field for both established and aspiring developers. The verification and approval process by a regulatory body for games of skill removes any ambiguity, giving developers a chance to reach millions of people without previous restrictions imposed by certain platforms such as Google or Apple.
For example, if you are a group of college students who have created a great game and believe it qualifies as a game of skill, you can seek certification from a Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) and Various platforms to up your game. It opens doors for thousands of young developers.
In terms of our own business, we anticipate that minor adjustments may be required once the SRO and SRB are fully implemented. However, we believe our current practices are in line with the recommendations. We eagerly await further clarity on this and look forward to co-operating with these bodies.
Let’s start with an overview of your business performance over the past year, how has it been?
In the past year, MPL has experienced remarkable growth, with our net revenue increasing by an impressive 80% compared to FY2022. Notably, we achieved profitability in December 2022, and we see it continuing in subsequent months as well.
This trajectory can be attributed to a few key factors, an unwavering focus on growth, a player-first mindset in everything we do, and disciplined cost management. We prioritized reducing infrastructure costs while accommodating the growing user base, resulting in lower cost per active user. We have introduced several industry-leading features that put the safety of our players at the forefront. Additionally, we developed in-house infrastructure for data analytics, reducing reliance on costly SaaS solutions and enabling full integration of data capabilities. By continuing with these strategies, we are confident in our ability to strengthen our market share and strengthen our position.
Can you give some insight into the company’s strategy to grow its market share in the highly competitive gaming space?
Our long-term goal is to establish ourselves as a leading global gaming hub, and we have already taken significant steps in this direction. We have recently expanded our reach to Africa with our entry into Nigeria. In addition, we have achieved a strong presence in Asia, North America and Europe, with an impressive user base of over 200 million. To cater to diverse gaming markets and appeal to a wide range of players around the world, MPL offers various options such as paid competitive gaming, free-to-play, and we have recently entered into AAA game development and Web3 gaming. have entered.
To stand out in the global gaming landscape, we place great importance on adopting a player-centric approach. Our primary focus is to prioritize the needs and preferences of the players, thereby ensuring an exceptional gaming experience. By thoroughly understanding the desires of gamers from different regions and cultures, we customize our offerings to meet their specific interests and demands.
What are the plans or initiatives to further strengthen your presence in MPL? Indian gaming sector,
We aim to establish ourselves as a gaming powerhouse, catering to all aspects of gaming. We have a strong Paid Competitive Gaming (PCG) portfolio and envision that we can become the largest player in the PCG space not only in India but globally. Apart from this, we have other ambitious plans to establish presence in other aspects of gaming. Last year, we launched Mayhem, our first AAA gaming studio, to create world-class titles and announced our flagship game, Underworld Gang Wars. While I am unable to disclose specific details about the game at this time, our team is working diligently on development, and it is currently in the alpha phase.
We have also recently entered Web3 gaming through our digital asset marketplace, GGX, and we see immense potential in this rapidly growing space. Our team is working on the opportunities that Web3 technology offers. We’ve seen promising results so far with the first game we launched on our platform, Striker. I think people will be pleasantly surprised by the achievements of Indian builders in comparison to their more widely recognized western counterparts.
MPL is present in four continents, what challenges do you see in this expansion and how has the journey been so far? Any plans to expand to other geographies?
Our goal has always been to create a global platform, and expanding into different regions has been a strategic step in that direction. Currently, India contributes around 70% of our revenue, while the remaining 30% comes from outside India.
While we understand that we may face some challenges along the way, we are committed to learning from them and growing profitably. One significant advantage we have is that we have built a strong gaming platform in India. With a large and diverse user base, our services were battle-tested here, providing us with valuable insights and preparing us to expand to other countries. This enabled us to handle scale and operate more smoothly in new markets.
As far as future plans go, we want to continue to expand our global presence either through partnerships or through direct entry into other markets – and do so profitably. By the end of next year, we believe we will have established our presence in at least one more geographic region, and potentially more if conditions are favorable.
What factors do you think have contributed to the growth of gaming and eSports in India in recent years?
Gaming and eSports have a dedicated fan base in India and over the past 2-3 years, the industry has seen a steady shift into the mainstream. Wide availability of affordable smartphones and high-speed internet access has allowed millions of Indian gamers, beyond just metros, to engage in online gaming and participate in competitive eSports tournaments.
Additionally, India boasts of the world’s largest youth population as well as a growing, dynamic talent pool of game developers who are creating high-quality games. The rising popularity and achievements of Indian eSports personalities on the global stage have also inspired and inspired a new generation of gamers. The remarkable performance of Indian players in international tournaments has attracted attention and investment in the e-sports industry within the country.
As we look forward, the recently introduced gaming regulations will further fuel the growth of this industry. These regulations are in line with the vision of the Prime Minister of India to establish the country as a major player in the global gaming landscape.
With the introduction of regulatory bodies and certification process for games of skill, how do you see these regulations affecting the gaming industry?
The new regulations are indeed a positive development for the gaming industry. While this will certainly help companies like MPL by bringing clarity and stability, it will also create a level-playing field for both established and aspiring developers. The verification and approval process by a regulatory body for games of skill removes any ambiguity, giving developers a chance to reach millions of people without previous restrictions imposed by certain platforms such as Google or Apple.
For example, if you are a group of college students who have created a great game and believe it qualifies as a game of skill, you can seek certification from a Self-Regulatory Organization (SRO) and Various platforms to up your game. It opens doors for thousands of young developers.
In terms of our own business, we anticipate that minor adjustments may be required once the SRO and SRB are fully implemented. However, we believe our current practices are in line with the recommendations. We eagerly await further clarity on this and look forward to co-operating with these bodies.