Mobile Mavens

Our panel of experts drawn from all sectors of the mobile gaming industry

Recent articles

Is localising games for India a smart move? INDIAN MAVENS Oct 6th, 2016

Is localising games for India a smart move?

Indian Mavens discuss Flixy Games' strategy

Abhinav Sarangi Co-Founder All in a Days Play
Ankush Madad Co-Founder and Creative Head Dropout Games
Cartic P Business Development Manager Juego Studio Private Limited
Laxmi Desai-Khanolkar CEO and co-founder Apar Games
Rituraj Behera Co-founder Cympl

My name is Rituraj Behera and I am Co-founder of Cympl, an Indie game studio started back in November 2012.

I had begun my career as an application developer but I always loved playing games which attracted me to the fast growing mobile games industry.

I had started the organization with a vision to create high quality mobile games and an attitude to learn & improve everyday.

Does iPhone 7's high price seal its doom in India? INDIAN MAVENS Sep 16th, 2016

Does iPhone 7's high price seal its doom in India?

Indian Mavens discuss the $900 phone

Ankush Madad Co-Founder and Creative Head Dropout Games
Cartic P Business Development Manager Juego Studio Private Limited
Hrishi Oberoi Founder Photon Tadpole
Laxmi Desai-Khanolkar CEO and co-founder Apar Games
Srinivasan Veeraraghavan Co-founder Roosh Interactive
Vaibhav Chavan CEO and Founder underDOGS Gaming Studio

7+ years of experience in Gaming Industry. Currently spearheads underDOG Gaming as a Game Designer, Business and Product Guy.

Is Shilpa Shetty's newly co-founded Viaan Studios set for success? INDIAN MAVENS Sep 1st, 2016

Is Shilpa Shetty's newly co-founded Viaan Studios set for success?

Leading Indian developers weight up the new studio's chances

Abhinav Sarangi Co-Founder All in a Days Play
Ankush Madad Co-Founder and Creative Head Dropout Games
Cartic P Business Development Manager Juego Studio Private Limited
Laxmi Desai-Khanolkar CEO and co-founder Apar Games
Poornima Seetharaman Director of Design Zynga

Poornima has been part of the gaming industry for over 15 years and undertaken roles varying from Game Designer to Producer to Studio head and Entrepreneur.

She has been part of companies like Indiagames (Disney India), Jumpstart, GSN Games etc.

She is currently a Director of Design at Zynga.

She has worked on franchises like BioShock Mobile, How to Train your Dragons, Neopets, and FarmVille 2: Country Escape to name a few.

She is a Women in Games Ambassador and also a Hall of Fame Inductee at the Global WIG Awards 2020, making her the first Indian game developer to receive such an honour.

Raoul Nanavati CEO BYOF Studios
Rituraj Behera Co-founder Cympl

My name is Rituraj Behera and I am Co-founder of Cympl, an Indie game studio started back in November 2012.

I had begun my career as an application developer but I always loved playing games which attracted me to the fast growing mobile games industry.

I had started the organization with a vision to create high quality mobile games and an attitude to learn & improve everyday.

Shailesh Prabhu Founder Yellow Monkey Studios

Shailesh Prabhu is an Indie Game Designer from India who has been designing games for over ten years. Seven years ago he founded Yellow Monkey Studios and is the recipient of numerous game design and entrepreneurship awards around the world. Socioball, HUEBRIX, It’s Just a Thought are some of his recent games. Shailesh is also an excellent cook, loves playing tennis, gardening and DIY projects apart from sporting facial hair.

Yadu Rajiv Game Designer and Developer

I've wanted to make games since I was in school and I've tried to learn and do as much as I could ever since. I studied English literature in college ( to free up my time for games) and then went on to do graduate studies in Design for Digital Experience at National Institute of Design. In between, I taught design, worked as a ux guy, and co founded a start up - called Hashstash (http://hashstash.in) where I made games. I left Hashstash some time ago and is currently teaching Game design, development and UX at Srishti Institute of Design, Bangalore. I also help with the IGDA Bangalore chapter and other community initiatives across India.

Indian Mavens discuss Blyss and the power of an App Store feature for paid games PREMIUM OR F2P? Aug 11th, 2016

Indian Mavens discuss Blyss and the power of an App Store feature for paid games

Is premium still too risky?

Abhineet Prasad Co-founder Dastan Games
Amit Goyal Co-founder SuperSike Games
Ankush Madad Co-Founder and Creative Head Dropout Games
Cartic P Business Development Manager Juego Studio Private Limited
Deepak Madathil Founder Pixel Ape Studios
Laxmi Desai-Khanolkar CEO and co-founder Apar Games
Shailesh Prabhu Founder Yellow Monkey Studios

Shailesh Prabhu is an Indie Game Designer from India who has been designing games for over ten years. Seven years ago he founded Yellow Monkey Studios and is the recipient of numerous game design and entrepreneurship awards around the world. Socioball, HUEBRIX, It’s Just a Thought are some of his recent games. Shailesh is also an excellent cook, loves playing tennis, gardening and DIY projects apart from sporting facial hair.

Shilpa Bhat Senior Producer 99Games Online Private Ltd.

Joined Robosoft Technologies in 2002 as software engineer and worked on Mac platform with focus on graphics and OpenGL. From 2006, worked on reengineering over 10 AAA PC titles to Mac and managed client coordination, internal team and product development. Since 2011, leading the productions of casual games in 99Games. Building and managing creative, development and design teams at 99Games, product conceptualisation and design, reviewing technical designs, coordinations with vendors/publishers/distributors, game release plans, marketing and monetizations.

Siddharth Sivaraman Co-founder Dastan Games
Srinivasan Veeraraghavan Co-founder Roosh Interactive
Indian Mavens discuss the value of Indiagames founder Vishal Gondal's new early stage game investment fund INDIAN MAVENS Jul 19th, 2016

Indian Mavens discuss the value of Indiagames founder Vishal Gondal's new early stage game investment fund

And is Vishal Gondal the one to provide it?

Amit Goyal Co-founder SuperSike Games
Anila Andrade Producer 99Games Online Private Ltd.
Cartic P Business Development Manager Juego Studio Private Limited
Hrishi Oberoi Founder Photon Tadpole
Laxmi Desai-Khanolkar CEO and co-founder Apar Games
Rituraj Behera Co-founder Cympl

My name is Rituraj Behera and I am Co-founder of Cympl, an Indie game studio started back in November 2012.

I had begun my career as an application developer but I always loved playing games which attracted me to the fast growing mobile games industry.

I had started the organization with a vision to create high quality mobile games and an attitude to learn & improve everyday.

Roby John CEO SuperGaming
Shailesh Prabhu Founder Yellow Monkey Studios

Shailesh Prabhu is an Indie Game Designer from India who has been designing games for over ten years. Seven years ago he founded Yellow Monkey Studios and is the recipient of numerous game design and entrepreneurship awards around the world. Socioball, HUEBRIX, It’s Just a Thought are some of his recent games. Shailesh is also an excellent cook, loves playing tennis, gardening and DIY projects apart from sporting facial hair.

Why are collaborations between indie studios so common in India? STRENGTH IN NUMBERS Jun 30th, 2016

Why are collaborations between indie studios so common in India?

Indian Mavens on sticking together

Abhinav Sarangi Co-Founder All in a Days Play
Abhineet Prasad Co-founder Dastan Games
Amit Goyal Co-founder SuperSike Games
Ankush Madad Co-Founder and Creative Head Dropout Games
Chirag Chopra Founder Lucid Labs
Goutham Dindukurthi Director Holy Cow Productions
Hrishi Oberoi Founder Photon Tadpole
Rituraj Behera Co-founder Cympl

My name is Rituraj Behera and I am Co-founder of Cympl, an Indie game studio started back in November 2012.

I had begun my career as an application developer but I always loved playing games which attracted me to the fast growing mobile games industry.

I had started the organization with a vision to create high quality mobile games and an attitude to learn & improve everyday.

Shaan Mishra Founder, Designer Tryhard Entertainment
Shailesh Prabhu Founder Yellow Monkey Studios

Shailesh Prabhu is an Indie Game Designer from India who has been designing games for over ten years. Seven years ago he founded Yellow Monkey Studios and is the recipient of numerous game design and entrepreneurship awards around the world. Socioball, HUEBRIX, It’s Just a Thought are some of his recent games. Shailesh is also an excellent cook, loves playing tennis, gardening and DIY projects apart from sporting facial hair.

Shruti Verma Developer Relations NASSCOM
Vaibhav Chavan CEO and Founder underDOGS Gaming Studio

7+ years of experience in Gaming Industry. Currently spearheads underDOG Gaming as a Game Designer, Business and Product Guy.

Yadu Rajiv Game Designer and Developer

I've wanted to make games since I was in school and I've tried to learn and do as much as I could ever since. I studied English literature in college ( to free up my time for games) and then went on to do graduate studies in Design for Digital Experience at National Institute of Design. In between, I taught design, worked as a ux guy, and co founded a start up - called Hashstash (http://hashstash.in) where I made games. I left Hashstash some time ago and is currently teaching Game design, development and UX at Srishti Institute of Design, Bangalore. I also help with the IGDA Bangalore chapter and other community initiatives across India.

Will the introduction of carrier billing unlock paying users' intent for India? MODALITY VS INTENT Jun 14th, 2016

Will the introduction of carrier billing unlock paying users' intent for India?

Indian Mavens discuss structural change

Amit Goyal Co-founder SuperSike Games
Deepak Madathil Founder Pixel Ape Studios
Hrishi Oberoi Founder Photon Tadpole
Laxmi Desai-Khanolkar CEO and co-founder Apar Games
Poornima Seetharaman Director of Design Zynga

Poornima has been part of the gaming industry for over 15 years and undertaken roles varying from Game Designer to Producer to Studio head and Entrepreneur.

She has been part of companies like Indiagames (Disney India), Jumpstart, GSN Games etc.

She is currently a Director of Design at Zynga.

She has worked on franchises like BioShock Mobile, How to Train your Dragons, Neopets, and FarmVille 2: Country Escape to name a few.

She is a Women in Games Ambassador and also a Hall of Fame Inductee at the Global WIG Awards 2020, making her the first Indian game developer to receive such an honour.

Raoul Nanavati CEO BYOF Studios
Shaan Mishra Founder, Designer Tryhard Entertainment
Shailesh Prabhu Founder Yellow Monkey Studios

Shailesh Prabhu is an Indie Game Designer from India who has been designing games for over ten years. Seven years ago he founded Yellow Monkey Studios and is the recipient of numerous game design and entrepreneurship awards around the world. Socioball, HUEBRIX, It’s Just a Thought are some of his recent games. Shailesh is also an excellent cook, loves playing tennis, gardening and DIY projects apart from sporting facial hair.

Vaibhav Chavan CEO and Founder underDOGS Gaming Studio

7+ years of experience in Gaming Industry. Currently spearheads underDOG Gaming as a Game Designer, Business and Product Guy.

Would a Tencent acquisition of Supercell benefit it or the mobile game industry? FORCED MARRIAGE? May 31st, 2016

Would a Tencent acquisition of Supercell benefit it or the mobile game industry?

Mobile Mavens discuss a potential giant

Devin Nambiar Head of Product and Partnered Development Electronic Arts
Harry Holmwood CEO Marvelous Europe

A games programmer before joining Sony’s early PlayStation team in 1994, he then founded developer Pure Entertainment, which IPO’d and launched a free-to-play online gaming service way back in 1999.

He was also a director of pioneering motion gaming startup In2Games, which was sold to a US group in 2008.

Along the way, he’s been a corporate VP, troubleshooter, and non-exec to a variety of companies and investors in and around the games sector.

Harry was European CEO of Marvelous AQL, a Japanese developer and publisher of social, mobile and console games, known for console games like No More Heroes and Harvest Moon, but now highly successful in the free-to-play mobile and web space in Japan and Asia.

Harry is CEO of Magicave.

Jared Steffes Co-founder Muxy
Oscar Clark Chief Strategy Officer Fundamentally Games

Oscar Clark has been a pioneer in online, mobile, and console social games services since 1998. He is also author of the book, Games As A Service – How Free To Play Design Can Make Better Games.

Torulf Jernström CEO Tribeflame
With Indian women playing more than men, should more games target them? INDIAN MAVENS May 30th, 2016

With Indian women playing more than men, should more games target them?

Is this engaged player-base overlooked?

Laxmi Desai-Khanolkar CEO and co-founder Apar Games
Manish Agarwal CEO Nazara
Rituraj Behera Co-founder Cympl

My name is Rituraj Behera and I am Co-founder of Cympl, an Indie game studio started back in November 2012.

I had begun my career as an application developer but I always loved playing games which attracted me to the fast growing mobile games industry.

I had started the organization with a vision to create high quality mobile games and an attitude to learn & improve everyday.

India has a burgeoning indie scene, but can it find commercial success? CREATIVITY = PROFIT? May 5th, 2016

India has a burgeoning indie scene, but can it find commercial success?

Indian Mavens weigh up the creative/commercial balance

Abhinav Sarangi Co-Founder All in a Days Play
Chirag Chopra Founder Lucid Labs
Poornima Seetharaman Director of Design Zynga

Poornima has been part of the gaming industry for over 15 years and undertaken roles varying from Game Designer to Producer to Studio head and Entrepreneur.

She has been part of companies like Indiagames (Disney India), Jumpstart, GSN Games etc.

She is currently a Director of Design at Zynga.

She has worked on franchises like BioShock Mobile, How to Train your Dragons, Neopets, and FarmVille 2: Country Escape to name a few.

She is a Women in Games Ambassador and also a Hall of Fame Inductee at the Global WIG Awards 2020, making her the first Indian game developer to receive such an honour.

Rituraj Behera Co-founder Cympl

My name is Rituraj Behera and I am Co-founder of Cympl, an Indie game studio started back in November 2012.

I had begun my career as an application developer but I always loved playing games which attracted me to the fast growing mobile games industry.

I had started the organization with a vision to create high quality mobile games and an attitude to learn & improve everyday.

Roopak Nair Business Leader - Live Games & CMO Reliance Games
Shailesh Prabhu Founder Yellow Monkey Studios

Shailesh Prabhu is an Indie Game Designer from India who has been designing games for over ten years. Seven years ago he founded Yellow Monkey Studios and is the recipient of numerous game design and entrepreneurship awards around the world. Socioball, HUEBRIX, It’s Just a Thought are some of his recent games. Shailesh is also an excellent cook, loves playing tennis, gardening and DIY projects apart from sporting facial hair.

Siddharth Sivaraman Co-founder Dastan Games
Indian Mavens discuss what they want to see at Pocket Gamer Connects Bangalore 2016 COMING SOON Feb 25th, 2016

Indian Mavens discuss what they want to see at Pocket Gamer Connects Bangalore 2016

Speaker submissions open, tickets on sale

Abhinav Sarangi Co-Founder All in a Days Play
Ankush Madad Co-Founder and Creative Head Dropout Games
Mithun Balraj Founder / Editor The Game Scrawl

Mithun works towards building the indie development community of India and popularizing game culture by providing coverage of local events and hosting meet-ups, game jams and talks.

Rituraj Behera Co-founder Cympl

My name is Rituraj Behera and I am Co-founder of Cympl, an Indie game studio started back in November 2012.

I had begun my career as an application developer but I always loved playing games which attracted me to the fast growing mobile games industry.

I had started the organization with a vision to create high quality mobile games and an attitude to learn & improve everyday.

Yadu Rajiv Game Designer and Developer

I've wanted to make games since I was in school and I've tried to learn and do as much as I could ever since. I studied English literature in college ( to free up my time for games) and then went on to do graduate studies in Design for Digital Experience at National Institute of Design. In between, I taught design, worked as a ux guy, and co founded a start up - called Hashstash (http://hashstash.in) where I made games. I left Hashstash some time ago and is currently teaching Game design, development and UX at Srishti Institute of Design, Bangalore. I also help with the IGDA Bangalore chapter and other community initiatives across India.

Indian Mavens predict 2016's mobile gaming trends WHAT'S NEXT? Jan 21st, 2016

Indian Mavens predict 2016's mobile gaming trends

Quality and creativity on the rise

Ankush Madad Co-Founder and Creative Head Dropout Games
Chirag Chopra Founder Lucid Labs
Mithun Balraj Founder / Editor The Game Scrawl

Mithun works towards building the indie development community of India and popularizing game culture by providing coverage of local events and hosting meet-ups, game jams and talks.

Poornima Seetharaman Director of Design Zynga

Poornima has been part of the gaming industry for over 15 years and undertaken roles varying from Game Designer to Producer to Studio head and Entrepreneur.

She has been part of companies like Indiagames (Disney India), Jumpstart, GSN Games etc.

She is currently a Director of Design at Zynga.

She has worked on franchises like BioShock Mobile, How to Train your Dragons, Neopets, and FarmVille 2: Country Escape to name a few.

She is a Women in Games Ambassador and also a Hall of Fame Inductee at the Global WIG Awards 2020, making her the first Indian game developer to receive such an honour.

Raoul Nanavati CEO BYOF Studios
Roby John CEO SuperGaming
Shailesh Prabhu Founder Yellow Monkey Studios

Shailesh Prabhu is an Indie Game Designer from India who has been designing games for over ten years. Seven years ago he founded Yellow Monkey Studios and is the recipient of numerous game design and entrepreneurship awards around the world. Socioball, HUEBRIX, It’s Just a Thought are some of his recent games. Shailesh is also an excellent cook, loves playing tennis, gardening and DIY projects apart from sporting facial hair.

Siddharth Sivaraman Co-founder Dastan Games
Vaibhav Chavan CEO and Founder underDOGS Gaming Studio

7+ years of experience in Gaming Industry. Currently spearheads underDOG Gaming as a Game Designer, Business and Product Guy.

Indian Mavens reflect on the events of 2015 and reveal fave games of the year SEE YOU NEXT YEAR Dec 23rd, 2015

Indian Mavens reflect on the events of 2015 and reveal fave games of the year

Remembering a year of milestones

Abhinav Sarangi Co-Founder All in a Days Play
Anila Andrade Producer 99Games Online Private Ltd.
Ankush Madad Co-Founder and Creative Head Dropout Games
Deepak Madathil Founder Pixel Ape Studios
Joel Johnson DigiKhel
Manish Agarwal CEO Nazara
Rituraj Behera Co-founder Cympl

My name is Rituraj Behera and I am Co-founder of Cympl, an Indie game studio started back in November 2012.

I had begun my career as an application developer but I always loved playing games which attracted me to the fast growing mobile games industry.

I had started the organization with a vision to create high quality mobile games and an attitude to learn & improve everyday.

Shailesh Prabhu Founder Yellow Monkey Studios

Shailesh Prabhu is an Indie Game Designer from India who has been designing games for over ten years. Seven years ago he founded Yellow Monkey Studios and is the recipient of numerous game design and entrepreneurship awards around the world. Socioball, HUEBRIX, It’s Just a Thought are some of his recent games. Shailesh is also an excellent cook, loves playing tennis, gardening and DIY projects apart from sporting facial hair.

Siddharth Sivaraman Co-founder Dastan Games
Does Chhota Bheem Race's chart-topping success prove the potential of Indian-developed games for the Indian market? INDIAN MAVENS Dec 9th, 2015

Does Chhota Bheem Race's chart-topping success prove the potential of Indian-developed games for the Indian market?

Our Indian Mavens discuss Chhota Bheem Race's #1 spot

Abhinav Sarangi Co-Founder All in a Days Play
Ankush Madad Co-Founder and Creative Head Dropout Games
Manish Agarwal CEO Nazara
Rakesh Kumar Principal Designer Gamillus Entertainment
Rituraj Behera Co-founder Cympl

My name is Rituraj Behera and I am Co-founder of Cympl, an Indie game studio started back in November 2012.

I had begun my career as an application developer but I always loved playing games which attracted me to the fast growing mobile games industry.

I had started the organization with a vision to create high quality mobile games and an attitude to learn & improve everyday.

Roby John CEO SuperGaming
Shailesh Prabhu Founder Yellow Monkey Studios

Shailesh Prabhu is an Indie Game Designer from India who has been designing games for over ten years. Seven years ago he founded Yellow Monkey Studios and is the recipient of numerous game design and entrepreneurship awards around the world. Socioball, HUEBRIX, It’s Just a Thought are some of his recent games. Shailesh is also an excellent cook, loves playing tennis, gardening and DIY projects apart from sporting facial hair.

Vaibhav Chavan CEO and Founder underDOGS Gaming Studio

7+ years of experience in Gaming Industry. Currently spearheads underDOG Gaming as a Game Designer, Business and Product Guy.

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