Episode 5 of The Offline Network — hosted by Utsav and Dhruv, dives into India’s critical gaming ecosystem inflection point: regulation hurdles, global ambitions, and the rise of the creator economy.

This unfiltered conversation features two visionary leaders building India’s gaming future — from ecosystem infrastructure and AI labelling to creator monetization and sustainable platform strategies.

📰 This Week’s News Rundown

• Rapido Surpasses Uber in India – By July 2025, Rapido claimed 50M Android MAUs versus Uber’s 30M, dominating bike taxis with ~70% market share. The subscription model enables driver retention amid aggressive market competition.

• iPhone 17 Official Release – Priced at ₹82,900 in India, higher than US and UAE. Made-in-India models now serve global markets from 5 factories, powering nearly half of US iPhone supply.

• Urban Co IPO – Raising ₹1,900 crore amid strong investor demand. Offering reflects structural growth: adjusted EBITDA turned positive, service professionals earning up to ₹50K/month.

🎙️ Deep-Dive Conversations

Gaming Meets AI Labelling – Manish Agarwal (Kratos Gaming Network): The intersection of gaming, AI infrastructure, RMG ban impact, and global IP ambitions shaping India’s gaming ecosystem.

Creator-First Platforms – Piyush Kumar (Rooter): Building sustainable creator careers, tackling India’s small-ticket monetization, short-form content trends, and positioning Rooter versus global giants.

This episode was made possible by Smartworks, India’s largest managed office platform.

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