India’s gig economy has been hit hard by the economic slowdown and cost cuts, especially in the e-commerce sector. But with the rise of online gaming, new opportunities have opened up for these affected professionals. WinZO, India’s top vernacular gaming platform, is responsible for creating over 1 lakh jobs in the gig economy, both direct and indirect. These jobs come in all kinds of roles, from engineers to game developers and animators to designers and marketing professionals. Plus, gig workers are involved in creating content, streaming games, translating, testing games, and operating games. Not only do they have work opportunities, but WinZO also helps them upskill, giving them the skills they need to succeed in the digital world. About 70% of our gig partners are from Tier II and above, making it a truly inclusive platform.

“WinZO envisions a future where entrepreneurship is democratized, and the youth of our nation is empowered to seize opportunities. Through our tech-enabled collaborations, we break the barriers of language, location and socio-economic background, seamlessly integrating gig professionals from rural areas and smaller cities such as Sangli, Naliya, Barasat, and Vategaon,” Saumya Singh Rathore, co-founder, WinZO declared, highlighting the extraordinary surge in employment opportunities for gig workers within the thriving realm of online gaming.

WinZO-affiliated micro-influencers use their audience to generate revenue by offering game reviews, video tutorials, strategy guides, and more. Together, they have created 7 lakh hours of video content in different vernaculars and dialects, including Konkani, Kutchi, Hindi, Konkani, Malvani, and more, with 10 billion impressions.

The role of translators, who are typically housewives, university students and retirees, contribute to facilitating the accessibility and inclusion of game content through the translation of in-game assets, marketing content and other content used by WinZO to offer a local vernacular interpretation.

Game testers are responsible for providing feedback and bug reports to improve the gaming experience on WinZO, while game operations professionals are responsible for managing backend infrastructure remotely, providing valuable opportunities for people who may be restricted from leaving their homes.

Nitin Chougale, a WinZO collaborator from Maharashtra, shared his experience, stating, “The micro-influencer program offered by WinZO has arrived at an opportune moment for creators like myself who faced challenges breaking into the mainstream. Collaborating with WinZO has given me the much-needed financial stability to pursue my passion as well as connect with my audiences.”   

The gaming industry in India is estimated to be worth $8.6 bn in FY27 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 27% in the coming years. The user base is expected to cross 450 million in 2023, as per a FICCI-EY report, the gaming industry in India has a lot of untapped potential. Some of the influencers who grew alongside WinZO have achieved 1 million subscribers on their channels and are now earning monthly income between INR 5 lakh and INR 10 lakh.

WinZO has 130 million active registered users and more than 4 billion microtransactions every month. The success of WinZO is largely due to its committed team and its indirect employee network. With this partner network, WinZO plans to grow to 700 million users in the next 5 years.

About WinZO

WinZO is India’s biggest social gaming & interactive entertainment platform. Launched at the beginning of 2018, the company has collaborated with 3rd party developers to launch games on its Android app, where gamers can enjoy personalized multiplayer gaming experiences. Its Android app is available in over 12 languages, including English, Hindi, Gujarat, Marathi, Bengal, & Bhojpuri with approx 100 million+ registered users across 100+ games. WinZO supports over 4 billion monthly micro-transactions across its portfolio of games. The company aims to build an active community of gamers & gaming influencers in tier 2 – 5 cities across India. WinZO sees a future where the platform can provide culturally relevant and fun experiences in the Indian gaming space, monetized through its unique micro-transactions model.

As a series C-funded venture, WinZO has secured $100 million in funding from Marquee’s gaming and entertainment investors like Griffin Gaming partners,  Courtside ventures, and Maker’s fund – all of whom invested in the Indian startup ecosystem for the first time through WinZO.

Credit: CXOtoday.com