Once the gaming insect bites you, it’s difficult to run away from the plethora of time one would spend on different games. Perhaps very few people understand the difference between addiction and passion for gaming and make a career out of it. Gnana Shekar is now an entrepreneur of three companies related to gaming.
As a kid, like most of us, ventured into the world of gaming cafe’s, Shekar stumbled into one such cafe and found the world PS2’s and Console gaming very fascinating. The competitive gamer inside him rose to the occasion, and there was never looking back from that moment on. He attempted to participate in some tournaments, where he realised that it wasn’t just him winning, he was actually much better than most who participated in the tournaments. He realised that, and packed his computer and travelled all the way to New Delhi to participate in a gaming tournament which he eventually won too!As a kid, like most of us ventured into the world of gaming cafe’s, Shekar stumbled into one such cafe and found the world PS2’s and Console gaming very fascinating. The competitive gamer inside him rose to the occasion, and there was never looking back from that moment on. He attempted to participate in some tournaments, where he realised that it wasn’t just him winning, he was actually much better than most who participated in the tournaments. He realised that, and packed his computer and travelled all the way to New Delhi to participate in a gaming tournament which he eventually won too!
Through all this while, his parents were nothing but supportive of his unconventional choice of career. He remembers an incident where his father reminded him about a tournament where he had to travel to Chennai for participation. His life was thus surrounded by gaming, and Shekar then realised the opportunities in the gaming industry.
His time with Flipkart got a little turbulent when he realised that the entrepreneurial plan that was being structured in his head needs to be brought on the floor. He quit his well paying job in December 2017, and decided to set up his venture in January 2018. With a baggage full of experience in gaming as well as Digital Marketing, Shekar found a void in the Digital Marketing for gaming space and therefore went on to set up “The Gameplay”. The company handled the digital marketing for most of the List A esports companies in the country.
His second company was founded in 2020; sensing a need for a lifestyle brand in the gaming industry and knowing what sells owing to being a part of gaming for over a decade, he named the company “Zoink”.
Many in India still view gaming as a very seasonal career choice, but Shekar refuses to believe so.
He believes that the landscape of gaming is growing leaps and bounds and focuses to believe that gaming as a career does not see age as a barrier. A 16-year-old could go on to win a global tournament and earn in millions.
A structure of the industry is something that needs to be worked upon to take this career choice seriously.
Asking him about his learnings from gaming, he states that he made mistakes by trusting people blindly. He emphasises on people to trust their instincts more than trusting others. “If you think you can do it, there’s nobody who can convince you otherwise.”
Owning to shaping India’s gaming industry and being called one of the ‘10 most influential personalities in the gaming industry of India’, Shekar realises a need for the gaming industry’s own league like IPL for cricket. This might change mentalities and might provide encouragement to gaming to be seen as a serious profession.
