500 Mn Indians Are presently Engaged In Online Gaming: Harsh Jain
Honored with the IMPACT Person of the Year (IPOY) 2022 Award from exchange4media Group, Harsh Jain, the Culture Enforcement Officer (CEO) and Co-founder of Dream11, stands as a trailblazer in the field of Advertising, Media and Marketing excellence. His visionary leadership has propelled India's largest sports technology company, catering to a staggering 200 million users, while pioneering Dream11 as India's premier gaming entity to achieve unicorn status. At the event, Jain, the youngest recipient of this esteemed award, engaged in a fireside chat, offering insights into the pivotal industry. Excerpts:
What can we anticipate Dream11 will bring forth in the upcoming two to three years?
The reason we started this, also as sports fans, was to solve a sports problem. We wanted to delve deeper into sports beyond just watching on TV, listening on the radio or streaming online. That's why we introduced fantasy sports in India.
So, what you can expect from us is a continuous effort to tackle sports-related issues and improve the experience for our users. We have a nation that is deeply passionate about cricket, which is incredible. However, we aim to expand and deepen the range of activities available to both cricket and sports fans in India.
Therefore, you can anticipate more initiatives from us in sports content, commerce, gaming, engagement, and health and fitness. Our goal is to provide sports fans with everything that can enhance their lives and make their experience better.
As a business founder, you're known as the CEO, but for you, it represents the Chief Culture Enforcement Officer. Why is that so?
I think for the initial 50 or even 100 individuals we had, creating culture was feasible through daily interactions and meetings. However, with a team now at around 1000 people, embedding culture becomes crucial. It shouldn't just exist in an HR handbook or office displays; it should infuse every aspect, from hiring to performance reviews, appraisals and bonuses. Cultivating and enforcing this pervasive culture is the only way to truly integrate it into the organisation. Over the past 15 years, I've learned that culture is the only scalable element.
Take today's cricket team as an example, despite a recent tough match. The Indian cricket team exhibits a fearless spirit - a culture fostered within the team. They're already world-class cricketers; the key is creating an environment where they can express themselves cohesively. This, I believe, is the crucial role of the organisation's leader.
Do you expect a unified gaming policy given its media attention? Will the government acknowledge and support the gaming industry's contributions?
I believe that the gaming industry's exponential growth in the last five to six years, reaching about 50 crore Indian users, is noteworthy. Just envision, 500 million Indians are presently engaged in online gaming, surpassing the population of every country on the planet. This gaming community in India alone exceeds the population of the second-largest nation worldwide.
However, with such explosive growth, there inevitably comes some downsides. There have been instances of companies acting inappropriately and actions have been taken against such bad actors. Yet, we genuinely believe that the government recognises gaming as a crucial industry moving forward.
In fact, the Honorable Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) has stated that India has the potential to become a gaming superpower. Therefore, we anticipate that by 2024, there will be a distinction made between responsible gaming entities and those acting in good faith, with regulations aligning to the Prime Minister's vision.
