Aims to acquire 3,00,000 users by end of IPL 2020
While gaming has always been on the mind of Indians, it has been a recreational activity rather than a full-time serious business. However, this mindset has changed over the last 5-6 years.
Gaming is exponentially growing in India
The gaming industry is booming. Recent reports by BofA securities stated that India’s gaming user base will reach 486 million by 2022.
The evolution of Indian gaming developers is a testament to this. According to a report, the online game development companies in India have risen to 275 in 2019 from a mere 25 in 2010.
“This boost and expected development is not only an opportunity for the gaming industry to evolve and level up but also an excellent opportunity for Indian gaming companies to use local talents and local resources to cater to the rising demand,” says Varun Gajjar, Founder of Whomp, a premier live gaming platform for cricket enthusiasts.
This demand is not only restricted to urban areas but has also garnered interest from users belonging to rural areas. Owing to mobile phone access and internet penetration across the country.
“The existing gamers are also increasingly demanding for high-quality, innovative and free gaming platforms. We see the industry growing exponentially in the next decade,” adds Varun.
Online Games Hackathon by Indian Government
Last month, in a surprise move, Union Education Ministry announced that soon they will organize a national level hackathon on ‘online games’ to showcase the talent of Indian students.
“We are glad that the Indian government is recognising the potential of Indian gaming,” says Varun.
Our country is a powerhouse of talent and has several students and young professionals belonging to the technology space, who can make an excellent contribution to the rising progress of our country.
“These initiatives will not only encourage students towards the gaming industry but also open avenues for young entrepreneurs and existing gaming company owners,” adds Varun.
How did it all start for Whomp
Every IPL season, Varuna and his friends would create their own cricket auction using paper chits and maintaining an excel spreadsheet.
While playing this way, they realised how convenient it would be if there was an app to host live cricket auctions in a gaming format along with tournaments.
Their research showed that a similar format is played for the NFL in the USA. “Taking inspiration from it we then created a prototype and after the initial success, we launched Whomp,” says Varun.
Soon after the launch, they added a voice chat feature, where players can talk to their friends through the app to discuss and strategize the bidding.
Growth of Whomp
Whomp launched in July 2020 and within a month they registered a 50X+ growth.
On day 1 of the launch, they acquired 1000 users and by the 10th day, they had acquired 35,000 users.
“The number of users is rising exponentially and by the end of the IPL season, we are looking to acquire 3,00,000 users,” added Varun.
Marketing Strategy
So far, Whomp has been focusing on online campaigns for brand awareness and communicating with their audiences.
They are using Facebook and Google campaigns to acquire users. The startup is also creating campaigns to go deep rather than trying multiple channels.
“We are looking to focus on one channel for now and that is doing well for us. It takes time and experiments to find and optimize the preferred one, but when it does, it delivers results,” says Varun.
Influencer Engagement
For a brand like Whomp, influencer marketing is an excellent way to communicate with their audiences.
Talking about their influencer marketing initiatives, Varun says, “It has already made a significant impact and are serving us well. We are planning on expanding the engagement further.”
Most of our users are turning into influencers themselves by uploading their auction video on youtube. This is helping Whomp attract more users.
Expansion Plans
Whomp has launched 1 game currently and are looking to add 3 more games soon. Additionally, they will be creating 3 more games before March 2021.
“Altogether, we will be adding 7 games on the platform in the next 7 months. We also plan to enter into esports before Diwali,” concludes Varun.
