Naga Rohith Anisetty

Most of the good early stage VCs in India now have visibility of at least 1-2 IPOs/year in their portfolio for the next 3 years. Understandably, this is becoming a barometer for investor-partner selection by the best founders at the early stages.

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1,298 gaming platforms just vanished from India overnight. $23 billion industry. Gone. Dream Sports, MPL, Zupee - all pulling the plug simultaneously. Most people think this is government overreach destroying innovation. But i think there is a big restructuring that will happen in the gaming industry. Real-money gaming banned completely. But e-sports and educational gaming? Full government backing. Think about this for a moment: -1.4 billion potential users being protected from financial addiction -Skill-based gaming getting institutional support -International companies scrambling to redesign their India strategy A lot of gaming apps that you use might end up completely changing their games and some might shut down. I personally think it will be very difficult for the existing real money gaming companies to exist. Some might ssay they can shift to advertisement revenue. Let me put this into picture: 1) Dream11's last year revenue $700million + 2) Total advertisement revenue of all gaming companies combined INR 6000crore+ Its a new playground altogether and i feel new companies will capture this space. Ps: Is there some sort of a curse ??

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From a dream to beta: Elev8 is live. India's first self-developed full-body motion gaming platform is finally here. What started 16 months ago with just an idea, a whiteboard, and a burning curiosity… has now become something we truly believe feels like magic. We tried everything — IMU sensors, wearables, Nintendo Joycons, you name it. But our goal was clear: Make motion gaming accessible, magical, and available to everyone, everywhere. So, we built our own Camera Vision AI system — no controllers, no extra devices. Just you and the camera on your mobile, TV, or PC. This is our beta launch, and here’s what you can expect: - Powered by Vision AI for real-time, full-body motion tracking - Works on Android and Windows (iOS and Linux coming soon) - No controller needed — your body is your controller - 5 fun, self-developed games to get you moving - Coming soon: motion-based Yoga, Kickboxing, Math Quests, World Geography explorers, and more - Built for Fun. Fitness. Learning. We’re obsessed with seamless innovations like Kinect, Nintendo, VR headsets — but let’s face it, they’ve always been out of reach for most of us. So we built Elev8 to work on what you already have — your phone, laptop, or smart TV. Low bandwidth, high impact. Simple. There are only two other companies in the world doing what we’re doing — both based in the US. And just like Mangalyaan, we’ve reached orbit at a fraction of the cost and time. We're proud. We're grateful. And we're just getting started. We’d love for you to try it out and tell us how it makes you feel. 👉 https://www.elev8.games/ This is still a work in progress. We know that. And your feedback means everything to us. Lastly — none of this would’ve been possible without my amazing team: Dipendra kumar, Vishesh Gupta, Ayush Asrekar, and Prakhar Sharma — A huge pat on the back to my fellow warriors. Let’s move the world, one game at a time. #Elev8 #MotionGaming #MadeInIndia #AI #ComputerVision #GamingRevolution #Innovation #BetaLaunch

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An area that Anjali Nair and I have been spending some time on lately, is vertical micro-drama apps globally and in India. Some key features of these apps: 📱 Vertical format designed specifically for smartphones ⏱️ Episodes run just 1-3 minutes each 📺 Full series contain 70-150 episodes (equivalent to a feature film when binged) 🎭 Scripted, melodramatic content with fast-paced plots 🔄 Cliffhangers and over-the-top storylines designed to hook viewers instantly This format originated in China and has since boomed globally: - Kuaishou hosts 100,000+ micro-drama channels with 270M daily viewers (70% of DAU) - ReelShort, DramaBox, ShortTV lead the US market - Many platforms were created by teams with mobile gaming backgrounds - Top apps saw 34M monthly downloads and $78M revenue in early 2025! It's clear to me that India is going to see a huge wave of vertical video, episodic micro-drama startups launching in the coming months. For founders building in this space, consider: 🎯 Content Strategy: Focus on culturally resonant genres - not just romance, but family dramas, mythology and comedy that speak to Indian audiences 🗣️ Language Approach: Launch with multiple regional languages from day one - Hindi alone won't capture the full market potential 💰 Monetization Mix: Design a smart freemium model with brand integrations that accounts for India's price sensitivity while maximizing revenue 🚀 Capital Efficiency: Balance content production costs with marketing spend to achieve scale before competitors 📊 Measurement: Build analytics that track not just views but completion rates and emotional engagement to prove value to advertisers We're actively seeking visionary founders ready to capture this emerging opportunity. The perfect storm of India's mobile-first population, our love for dramatic storytelling, and evolving consumption patterns makes this the ideal time to build in this space.

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Tier II & III cities aren’t “emerging markets” anymore. They are the market. The more we work with brands, the clearer it gets - real growth isn’t just in metros. It’s in Indore, Surat, Lucknow, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Guwahati… and beyond. Here’s why these cities matter more than ever: 1. Spending power is rising fast. Driven by younger, aspirational consumers. 2. Modern retail is booming. Malls, multiplexes, cafés, gyms, lifestyles are shifting. 3. E-commerce penetration is higher than ever. These cities are among the fastest-growing order bases for Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho. 4. Digital adoption is deep. Tier 2/3 audiences are not just consuming, they’re creating trends. 5. And when a brand earns trust here, the loyalty sticks far longer than in metros. For us, the real excitement in Tier 2 and Tier 3 comes from the connections we’ve been able to build - with creators, audiences, and local brands alike. That’s why we often find ourselves in a unique spot: Tier 1 brands approach us to tap into these markets authentically, and Tier 2/3 brands reach out to scale their voice beyond their cities. In many ways, we get to bridge that gap and that’s where the work feels most meaningful. If you had to bet on the next “growth capital” of India, which city gets your vote? #NextWaveIndia #Tier2 #Tier3 #BrandGrowth #ConsumerShift #DIYSolutions

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Has India’s gaming sector hit by a funding slowdown? VC funding for gaming startups has plunged nearly 90% in just three years. Why? Real-money gaming has been hit by regulatory fog, GST fears, and wobbly monetisation models.. But there’s more here than a funding freeze. AI is quietly rewiring the gaming value chain. Infrastructure players and tools-focused startups are still drawing investor interest. So, what’s missing? Regulatory clarity, and a national framework that doesn’t punish innovation. Until then, even solid fundamentals like low data costs, a young digital-native population can’t drive the next boom. Find the story in the comments. Outlook Business

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Indian startups are ditching Silicon Valley for home! The great Indian startup ghar vaapasi is in full swing. Let that sink in. Razorpay. Zepto. Groww. udaan.com. Pine Labs. Meesho. What we are witnessing is not a series of one-off moves, but a broader return from Delaware to India. For over a decade, the playbook was crystal clear: Build in India, incorporate in Delaware, raise from Sand Hill Road, list on Nasdaq. That playbook is dead. Here's what changed: A startup that would have raised capital in Silicon Valley can now raise more capital in India. Same company. Better terms. Home ground advantage. The IPO math is even more brutal for those who stayed offshore. Indian companies listing domestically are fetching better valuations compared to their US-listed peers. Meanwhile, compliance costs for offshore structures have tripled, and regulatory scrutiny has intensified. This isn't just about money, though the money is compelling. This is about where value gets created in the next decade. Boardroom conversations now have the question: "Should we come back?" And increasingly, the answer is becoming obvious. But here's the catch: The decision to flip goes beyond geography. It is a rethink of how startups build, scale, and create wealth in India. A SaaS company optimised for Silicon Valley metrics operates very differently from one built for Indian public markets. The investor base is different. The growth expectations are different. The exit strategies are fundamentally different. That's why this homecoming wave is a complete recalibration of how Indian startups think about wealth creation. In my latest Create Wealth newsletter, I break down: - Why startups went offshore - The roll call: startups making the move - The big flip: Why India looks better today - The IPO math- Why India now offers better outcomes - The challenges of homecoming Read the full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/dhr9kBiQ #CreateWealth #Dezerv #Startups #IPO #VentureCapital #StartupIndia #Founders

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SUPER PAGE 3 - Edition 2 (I know, I am the only one who's excited) Voice-First Gaming Booms in Rural India Data: 180% YoY growth in voice-controlled games (Nazara, 2023). Insight: Games like Ludo King now use regional dialects (e.g., Bhojpuri). Why: The next billion users won’t type—they’ll speak. Privacy-First Games Win Big Post-GDPR Data: 500K+ sales for “no tracking” games in Europe. Insight: Compliance became a marketing goldmine. Why: Trust > virality in privacy-conscious markets. Heatwave Gaming: Climate Change Alters Playtime Data: 55% of Spanish gamers shift sessions to midnight. Insight: Weather affects play patterns and ad revenue. Why: Climate is the new UX variable. AI NPCs With Memory Boost Retention by 40% Data: AI Dungeon players spend 53 min/session with ChatGPT NPCs. Insight: Emotional AI deepens player engagement. Why: The line between NPCs and influencers is blurring. Retro Rewind: Gen Z Fuels Atari’s 90% Revenue Jump Data: 60% of Atari 50 buyers are under 25, driven by TikTok. Insight: Gen Z romanticizes eras they never lived. Why: Nostalgia is now a tradable IP. Period-Tracking Games: Femtech Meets Gamification Data: Users log 3x more symptoms when rewarded in-app. Insight: Gaming and women’s health is a $50B market. Why: Women drive 65% of mobile spend—this is just the start. Micro-Donations Reshape Monetization Data: Vampire Survivors earned $2.1M via “buy me a coffee” prompts. Insight: Fans want to be patrons, not just players. Why: The Patreon-ification of gaming is here. Carbon-Neutral Games Struggle: Only 12% Pay for Green DLC Data: Ubisoft’s Riders Republic eco-DLC had 4x lower uptake. Insight: Gamers want sustainability—but won’t foot the bill. Why: Green initiatives must be baked in, not sold separately. Gaming for Citizenship: UAE’s “Good Gamer” System Data: 100K+ expats earn residency points via in-game diplomacy. Insight: Civilization VI sessions now double as civic tests. Why: Games are becoming nation-building tools. Telcos Throttle Games: Pay-to-Play Internet in SEA Data: 70% of gamers in SEA face peak-hour lag taxes. Insight: ISPs are the new app stores and gatekeepers. Why: Net neutrality’s death is reshaping mobile gaming. AI Moderation: Roblox Cuts Hate Speech by 88%—With Issues Data: AI overblocks LGBTQ+ terms 40% of the time. Insight: Automated moderation is a blunt weapon. Why: Ethical AI needs nuance, not just speed. Haptic Suits Go Mobile: $5B Market by 2026 Data: Xiaomi’s vest sells 1M units in 3 months. Insight: Mobile-first hardware is eating console’s lunch. Why: The body, not the screen, is gaming’s next battleground. Data Sovereignty Wars: MENA Governments Crack Down Data: PUBG Mobile lost 8M users after UAE’s data laws. Insight: Local data laws are reshaping global gaming. Why: Data isn’t just oil—it’s a political weapon.

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$125K turned into $2.3 Billion. Here's how Y Combinator did it in India: Razorpay: $9.2B valuation → YC invested $125K for 7% equity → YC's stake now worth ~$644M → That's 5,152x return Zepto: $7B valuation → YC invested $125K for 7% equity → YC's stake now worth ~$490M → That's 3,920x return Groww: $7B valuation → YC invested $125K for 7% equity → YC's stake now worth ~$490M → That's 3,920x return Meesho: Targeting $10B IPO → YC invested $125K for 7% equity → YC's stake worth ~$700M → That's 5,600x return Total invested: $500K across 4 startups Total paper returns: $2.3 Billion Combined ROI: 4,600x in under 10 years Let that sink in. While Indian VCs said "This won't work in India"... While investors laughed at the "cheap" commerce model... While everyone doubted quick delivery and discount broking... Y Combinator quietly wrote $125K checks.  • Zepto: Two 17-year-olds who dropped out of Stanford  • Groww: 4 Flipkart employees with zero fintech experience  • Razorpay: Building payments before UPI even existed  • Meesho: A failed fashion app that pivoted to housewives YC's "expensive" 7% equity stake? It became the most valuable stamp of validation in Indian startups. The numbers that tell the story:  • 2021: YC funded 66 Indian startups  • 2024: YC funded only 4 Indian startups  • Why? Indian founders finally have domestic capital But those early bets built a $2.3B masterclass in pattern recognition. 233 Indian startups funded. 4 became unicorns. $33B+ combined valuation. Sometimes the best investment isn't in the perfect pitch. It's in the founder who shows up again after failing. Razorpay. Zepto. Groww. Meesho.

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Excited to share this News, 888vc, Our Early-stage venture capital firm based in Bangalore, India has launched platfrom Gro8 backed by ₹175 crore (US$ 20M) fund to back startups focused on AI, deep tech, Enterprise SAAS and sustainability over the next three years. 💡 Key Focus Areas: 🔹 Average ticket size of ₹2–4 crores 🔹 Sector Agnostic Angel fund 🔹 Focus on globally scalable solutions 🔹 Launch of GRO8 angel platform for cross-border funding, mentorship & market access 📌 If you’re building in AI, deep-tech, or sustainability with ambitions to grow globally, let’s talk. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gtUcYkrx #888vc #gro8 #venturecapital #angelinvestments #startups

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Starting up in India almost always involves this question—Bangalore or somewhere else? For years, Bangalore has been the obvious choice: talent, funding, ecosystem—all in one zip code. But of late, costs have risen dramatically, infrastructure is under pressure, and the talent market is stretched thin. BeBetta has offices in both Bangalore and Ahmedabad. And the difference is clear—operating in Bangalore costs 3-6x more. Hiring is expensive and office space comes at a premium. After a point, the numbers just don’t add up. This phenomenon isn’t new. Silicon Valley was once the only place to build tech—until it wasn’t. High costs and talent drain pushed startups to Austin, Miami, and beyond. India is seeing early signs of the same shift. Cities such as Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad are gaining ground. Bangalore isn’t going anywhere. But the monopoly is breaking. At some point, founders will have to ask—are we paying for the ecosystem or the hype? #founder #startups #india #bangalore

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Can AI livestreamers finally make livestreaming work in India?   For years, livestreaming has been unsolved in India. Despite being time-rich with a social-first internet, livestreaming as ecom format never took off like China. It wasn’t for lack of trying - dozens of players entered but the pieces never quite clicked   There are two key issues 1) Supply side never scaled. High quality hosts with skill to entertain/ sell "live" are incredibly hard. Even when you find them, time ROI doesn’t justify effort. W/o massive concurrent views, even great hosts can’t monetize their time well 2) Demand side never hit critical mass. Watching live video to shop isn’t a habit for most users. Unlike China, where buying from livestreams is normalized (even aspirational), we haven’t built that instinct   It is one of the hardest content formats to crack. It’s not just about entertainment - it’s about holding attention for long stretches, establishing emotional trust, selling well. That’s a high bar.   China, however, cracked the code.   In China, livestreaming isn’t just content - it’s an industry. There’s a whole ecosystem of training schools that turn novice into conversion machines. There’s trust in format, amplified by exclusive SKUs + deep discounts. And now, something magical is unfolding..   AI livestreamers Luo Yonghao, China’s most prominent livestreamer, recently launched his AI avatar on Baidu’s ecom with their foundational model. Results were incredible 13M+ views $7.6M in GMV 6 hours of seamless, emotionally engaging, product rich conversation "LIVE" by AI avatar   It delivered 97k+ character of product storytelling, 8k+ coordinated gestures, even held banter with co-host avatar, complete with sync movement. It mimicked spontaneity, emotional shifts, tonal variety - everything that was once thought to be uniquely human. What’s more interesting: it did better sales than human host’s original debut   Why this matters I believed livestreaming was one content format AI wouldn’t touch. Too human, too spontaneous, too dependent on emotional resonance. That assumption’s been shaken.   AI livestreamers now deliver: 24/7 performance w/o burnout Cost-efficiency (<$1K setup vs a full-fledged studio) Hyper-consistent quality in storytelling, gestures They may not replace top-tier influencers, who thrive on emotional intimacy & narrative originality. But they could easily replace the long tail - those who drive volume, not creativity   Can livestreaming finally work in India? AI livestreamers could solve the supply side issue. With avatars that can shoot 24/7, mimic human emotions, deliver crisp storytelling at very low cost. Could this unlock ecom in catg like food, electronics, impulse-led lifestyle where trust equation is lighter & trial isn’t mandatory? It’s too early to say. But India’s livestreaming moment might not come from human creators It might come from AI avatars - fluent in emotion, optimized for conversion & built to scale where humans couldn’t.

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99 percent people try and take shortcuts in everything Building distribution, scaling revenue, launching products, launching new markets etc If you are disciplined enough & enforce a culture of not taking shortcuts, howsoever lucrative it might seem in short run, that itself becomes a huge advantage

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