About

For over a decade and a half, my professional journey has mirrored the evolution of India’s gaming industry. I have operated at the intersection of technology, creativity, and community, moving from grassroots evangelism to founding premier studios. My career has been defined by a single objective: to build sustainable, high-quality interactive experiences that put India on the global gaming map.

The New Chapter: Second Quest

I am a co-founder of Second Quest, my latest gaming venture, along with my partner, Shagufta. True to its name, Second Quest represents a "level up" - a new challenge undertaken with the inventory of experience gathered from my previous entrepreneurial exits.

We have successfully launched operations and are currently deep in the development of Model Trains, the ultimate sandbox experience for railway enthusiasts and creative builders, allowing you to craft stunning and richly detailed miniature railway sets on your favorite devices and platforms.

At Second Quest, we are assembling a team of veterans to push the boundaries of simulation games as content ecosystems, aiming to set new benchmarks for quality and player engagement in the ecosystem. Our driving focus is maximising UGC engagement within our community and creating each player into a content creator.

The Foundation: Hashstash & MyySports

My entrepreneurial path began in earnest with Hashstash (later MyyHashstash). Founded in 2011, Hashstash grew into one of India’s most respected game development studios. We didn't just build games; we built best-in-class interactive experiences for global giants like Amazon, Byju’s, Ubisoft, Vistara, and the Vodafone Foundation. Simultaneously, our original IP, including award-winners like Circulets, Huerons, and Splash Damage, showcased our creative capabilities.

In 2021, Hashstash was acquired into the MyyTake family. This transition followed my co-founding of MyySports in December 2020, where we tackled the massive challenge of democratizing sports.

At MyySports, we redefined the "phygital" experience. In just one year, we scaled the platform to support 13,000 teams and 83,000 players, generating over 16 million impressions across 10,000 matches. This experience reinforced my belief in the power of gamification to instigate real-world change and accessibility.

Building the Ecosystem: Community & Advocacy

Beyond building companies, I am deeply committed to building the industry itself. In 2009, I founded GameDev.in (formerly Indie GameDev India), which stands today as the country’s largest and longest-running community for game developers.

I actively spearhead initiatives that foster knowledge exchange, including:

• IGDC (India Game Developer Conference): Serving as a key organizer for the region's premier industry event.
• BYOG (Build Your Own Game): Organizing India's oldest recurring Game Jam.
• Campfire & IGDC Awards: Platforms designed to recognize and celebrate Indian talent.

In recognition of these contributions, I was honored to be included in the [GI100 Global Game Changers 2020 list by GamesIndustry.biz](https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-12-11-gi-100-game-changers-part-five).

Roots in Open Source

My career, originally, kicked off in 2008 with a focus on open-source advocacy. I evangelized for projects like WordPress, GNOME, and Mozilla, helping launch Mozilla’s Representative program in India. We built a robust network of college ambassadors and Mozilla representatives to promote web literacy across schools and colleges, a foundational experience that continues to influence my community-first approach to business today.

During this time, I also conceptualised and created OSSCamps - India's first open source unconference, and ran it for 3 years.