Today, disruption has become the new normal. Every new technology we discover has the potential to change the way we live, do business and entertain ourselves. The online gaming industry, covering everything from combat games to digital casinos, didn’t even exist two decades ago and its growth rate over the last couple of years has been phenomenal.
In the space of a generation, video games have gone from being a minor niche on the edge of entertainment to a billion-dollar industry. This remarkable trend is being fueled by the growing use of smartphones and the constant progress of gaming business models. According to various reports, the online gaming industry in India is expected to grow to about $1 billion by 2021 from the current $360 million, an unbelievable growth rate of 20 percent. This is expected to directly influence the society and lead to a hike in the number of gamers all across us.
Rapid advances in technology, the entertainment consumption behavior of gamers, and new and improved business models are major factors in the staggering growth of digital gaming companies. Another critical element is their ability to innovate and this is where Head InfoTech, a company which develops applications for the online gaming industry, excels.
Aspiring to be the Best
Head InfoTech started its journey in 2006 with a vision to bring the fun and excitement of skill-based online, multi-player competitive games to the world. Ten years after its inception, the company was rewarded for its innovation and commitment when its leading brand, Ace2Three.com was recognized as India’s leading online card gaming site.
Ace2Three.com allows users to play free rummy and cash rummy tournaments with players across India and win cash prizes online.
Apart from online rummy, the company is also into social casino games through their popular freemium segment. This is provided by another of their popular brands, Witty Games (www.wittygamesindia.com). Witty Games focuses on delivering innovative social casino games with an Indian flavor. The company has also recently launched a fantasy sports platform, Fanfight (www.fanfight.com).
Head InfoTech’s success as a market leader has been forged in its ethos of determination, perseverance and tenacity. The company’s attrition rates are amongst the lowest in the industry and it draws strength from a fantastic team which has stuck with the company through ups and downs.
They also treasure their loyal customer base, who appreciates the stark difference between Head InfoTech’s outstanding products and that of the company’s competitors in the market.
Head InfoTech was recently acquired by the Clairvest Group, a leading Canadian private equity fund. The deal is the largest transaction in the Indian gaming sector to date.
The Visionary
Deepak Gullapalli is the CEO & Founder of Head InfoTech. It was his sheer dedication to bring cutting-edge innovation and transformation to the Indian gaming industry that led to the establishment of Head InfoTech.
Deepak realized that the extremely popular game of rummy could be taken online, and founded the company from his basement with a couple of rented computers. Ace2three was the pioneer in skill-based online gaming and quickly diversified its range with the introduction of popular games like poker and fantasy sports.
Under Deepak’s leadership, Ace2three.com continues to spearhead growth and development of the gaming industry in India with more than 10 million happy players.
Deepak is a startup specialist with expertise in product management, functional analysis and designing interfaces for internet applications. He has completed a Master’s degree in Business Information Technology from Middlesex University.
Innovation and Technology
Disruptive turbulence is unavoidable with the speed at which the gaming industry is growing. While the regulatory uncertainty that currently looms over the industry has the capacity to impact investment, there is still massive growth potential for companies like Head InfoTech that are operating on a self-sustaining basis.
The team at Head InfoTech is constantly pushing the envelope to make their products more user-friendly and efficient for their customers. They are also extremely mindful of being a responsible market leader and have undertaken initiatives such as implementing a responsible gaming policy at par with global gaming market practices.
As a product company, they constantly introduce new features to the gameplay to improve the user experience. Head InfoTech honors the commitments made and strives to build a relationship of lifelong trust with all of their customers.
Disruptions and Breakthroughs
As the quality bar of online games rises by the day, people are increasingly open to investing their money and efforts into online gaming portals. The skill-based gaming industry offers growth for various ecosystems.
To scale an online gaming business, investment is necessary in several areas. Payment solutions are needed to process transactions, marketing is required for digital campaigns and, most importantly, talent (ranging from IT engineers, designers, marketing and general management professionals) is essential to improve the gaming experience itself.
Despite getting the required push in many ways, monetization remains a significant limitation for the online gaming industry in India. The major challenge is the potential regulatory changes that could adversely impact the currently unregulated industry.
While there is no doubt that more transparent guidelines are needed for the recognition of online platforms with a clear-cut definition of “skill gaming” in the Indian context, it must be understood that playing online with money does not necessarily imply that you are vulnerable to cyber-crime.
The key aspect of safety is to embrace the idea of responsible gaming. This means end-to-end protection of the security of the player and reliable, hassle-free payment gateways for users.
Future Aspects
Head InfoTech fosters an environment of learning and innovation that brings out the best from its team every day, and those contributions are duly recognized and rewarded. This positive culture helps to forge an everlasting bond among its employees and allows them to be partners in the company’s overall growth.
Deepak asserts, “As the founder, my aspirations are to scale greater heights in terms of growth and sustainability over the next five years and to be the benchmark for gaming companies in India.”
Head InfoTech is at a stable phase and plans to consolidate its position as a market leader in online rummy. Diversification is on the cards and they also plan to explore other products and businesses related to media and online gaming. In the meantime, they will continue to provide the framework for the future of the gaming industry and cement their reputation as a dynamic and forward-thinking organization.
Head Infotech: Offering Superior Gaming Experiences through Scalable Mobile Applications
