In a grand celebration of India’s booming creator economy, WinZO, India’s largest interactive entertainment platform, felicitated 80 gaming content creators, 18 game developers, and students today at the “Creator’s Awards” at the Startup Mahakumbh 2025, New Delhi. The creators were recognised for their achievements by WinZO’s brand ambassador and Asia’s largest YouTuber, CarryMinati, in acknowledgment of their exceptional contributions to India’s gaming and content creation landscape.
Furthering its commitment to empowering creators, WinZO, in partnership with the Media and Entertainment Skills Council (MESC), awarded the winners a ‘Skill India certificate’, recognising their expertise and contribution to the digital content industry. The event underscored the growing influence of gaming content creators in shaping the future of interactive entertainment in India. The creator economy in India has undergone a massive growth surge over the last five years, rising from just 962,000 influencers in 2020, to over 4.06 million by 2024 as per the India Gaming Report, 2025, published by WinZO Games and the Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC), also launched at the Startup Mahakumbh, 2025. The highest growth among content creators was seen in the gaming sector-driven creator economy, which grew by 213% between 2020 and 2022, totalling 467,000 influencers by the end of 2024. These creators generate more jobs as they hire talent in the areas of production, direction, script writing, animation, among others. This recognition of gaming creators by WinZO comes at a critical time as the Government has recently announced a USD 1 billion fund for the creator economy, and recently hosted the National Creator Awards.Democratising entrepreneurship is WinZO’s core philosophy, be it through providing platforms and avenues focused on growing the game developer ecosystem or monetising content. WinZO’s multiple initiatives supporting content creators serve a triple role of fostering a self-sustaining gig economy, enabling gaming influencers to transform their passion into a profession, and contributing to India’s rapidly growing creator ecosystem. They embody WinZO’s larger mission of democratizing digital entrepreneurship, particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, which accounts for over 70% of the gig opportunities created by the platform originate.
WinZO has already generated over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs for gig workers across India, empowering creators to monetize game reviews, tutorials, and strategy content, thus providing a scalable income stream that transcends language, location, and socio-economic barriers. With over 250 million registered users and 5 billion monthly transactions, the platform has facilitated the creation of over 1 million hours of content in vernacular languages and dialects such as Konkani, Kutchi, Haryanvi, Malvani, and more. The ‘WinZO Superstar Initiative’ also offers flexible earning opportunities, performance-based incentives, and a gamified referral system, allowing creators to earn direct cash rewards for every new user they onboard through their content and networks. This program has benefitted a community of over 75,000 influencers and is only growing. Out of these, 20% of creators in the program filed income tax returns for the first time after being onboarded onto WinZO’s platform, highlighting its impact on formalizing the digital creator economy.By nurturing a digital-first gig economy, WinZO continues to create new-age livelihood opportunities and establish gaming as a fundamental pillar of India’s evolving creator-driven ecosystem.
CarryMinati emphasized the significance of such initiatives in empowering gaming creators: “I congratulate all the content creators and game developers today for driving India’s booming creator economy and gaming industry. Platforms like WinZO open up new ways for creators to engage with audiences while monetizing their passion. Gaming is more than just entertainment—it’s a thriving industry with limitless potential to build careers and connect with people worldwide.”
Paavan Nanda, Co-founder of WinZO, emphasized the company’s vision: “The creator economy is at the heart of India’s digital revolution, and at WinZO, we are committed to enabling individuals to unlock its full potential. By offering direct monetization opportunities and performance-based incentives, we are fostering an ecosystem where creators can thrive and innovate. We are honoured to recognize the people driving this momentum and are grateful to be part of their journey. This is the true spirit of democratizing digital entrepreneurship.“
The winners of the Bharat Tech Triumph (BTTP) were also felicitated. The competition is designed to identify and empower leading innovators in gaming and interactive entertainment, conducted by WinZO in collaboration with the Interactive Entertainment and Innovation Council (IEIC). Started in 2023, the initiative offers a platform for developers in India to showcase their technologies, collaborate with industry peers, and drive the future of gaming on an international stage. Participants gain exposure at premier events such as the Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Francisco, Startup Mahakumbh and WAVES in India, facilitating networking with industry leaders and access to the latest trends and technologies. The competition encompasses various categories, including game developer studios, esports, and game tech companies.
About WinZO
WinZO is the largest social gaming and interactive entertainment platform in India. Launched in early 2018, the Company partners with third-party developers to host games on their Android app, where users can enjoy personalized multiplayer gameplay experiences. The platform is available in 14 languages such as English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, and Bhojpuri, with over 200 million registered users. The WinZO platform facilitates over 5 billion micro-transactions per month across a portfolio of 100+ games. WinZO is focused on building an enthusiastic community of gamers and gaming influencers in Tier 2 – 5 cities in India. The company envisions a future where the WinZO platform can deliver a culturally relevant and enjoyable experience in the Indian gaming ecosystem, monetized through a unique micro-transaction model. WinZO, a series-C funded venture, has raised $100 million from Marquee gaming and entertainment investors such as Griffin Gaming Partners, Courtside Ventures, Makers Fund, all of whom made their first investment in the Indian start-up ecosystem through WinZO.
