NODWIN Gaming has appointed Manish Agarwal as a non-executive director. This move strengthens the company's leadership as it prepares for a potential initial public offering. Agarwal's experience in taking Nazara Technologies public is expected to be invaluable. NODWIN Gaming aims to raise over $100 million in a pre-IPO round.

NODWIN bolsters IPO plan as it ropes in Nazara's former key man Manish Agarwal

Synopsis

NODWIN Gaming has appointed Manish Agarwal as a non-executive director. This move strengthens the company's leadership as it prepares for a potential initial public offering. Agarwal's experience in taking Nazara Technologies public is expected to be invaluable. NODWIN Gaming aims to raise over $100 million in a pre-IPO round.

NODWIN Gaming has appointed Manish Agarwal as a non-executive director, bringing in a seasoned industry hand as the esports and gaming firm steps up preparations for a potential initial public offering. Agarwal, who played a key role in taking Nazara Technologies public, is expected to add strategic depth to the board at a time when NODWIN is sharpening its growth and capital market plans.

"This appointment is part of a broader set of strategic moves by NODWIN Gaming as it prepares for its next phase of growth," the company said in a statement. Agarwal bringing experience in governance, institutional growth and scaling businesses for listing.

Also Read: NODWIN Gaming appoints MTG’s Arnd Benninghoff as board member

In his role as non-executive director, Agarwal will work with the board and leadership team on governance, strategic oversight and long-term value creation as NODWIN expands across markets and builds institutional capabilities aligned with public market expectations.

Manish Agarwal has been associated with NODWIN, , an esports and youth entertainment company, since its early days, having led Nazara Technologies’ investment into the company, giving him a long-term view of its evolution, strategy and position within the gaming ecosystem.

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NODWIN Gaming is planning an IPO in the next two to three years and aims to raise over $100 million in a pre-IPO round, Managing Director and Co-Founder Akshat Rathee had reportedly said.

"Manish has been a long-time partner in NODWIN’s journey, from leading Nazara Technologies’ investment into the company to now joining our Board at a crucial inflection point. He is the leader who took Nazara public and created immense shareholder value, and brings that same mindset as we prepare for our own public market journey," Rathee said.

Rathee said Manish brings a combination of entrepreneurial vision and public market experience that is valuable at this stage of the company’s journey, and added that his strategic guidance will support its pre-IPO plans and long-term value creation for stakeholders.

"Having seen NODWIN’s journey from its early stages to becoming a leading force in youth culture and gaming, it’s been exciting to watch its evolution. As the company now prepares for its next phase, including its path towards public markets, I look forward to contributing to building a globally relevant and institutionally strong platform," Manish Agarwal said.

Manish Agarwal is currently co-founder of KGeN (Kratos Gamer Network), a platform that builds verified human distribution networks by organising micro-communities across the Global South to drive engagement and commerce. The company is backed by global investors such as Accel and Prosus, with its most recent private funding round valuing it at around $500 million. He is also the founder of Humyn Labs, which works with frontier technology firms to convert signals from real-world communities into structured human intelligence systems for artificial intelligence.

The appointment is part of a wider set of moves by the company. Earlier this month, NODWIN brought back Sidharth Kedia to lead strategy, capital planning and mergers and acquisitions, underlining its focus on disciplined growth and shareholder value creation. The company has also added Arnd Benninghoff to its board and initiated a $100 million pre-IPO fundraise, signalling a broader effort to strengthen leadership and strategic depth ahead of a market listing.

NODWIN revenue of Rs 524 crore in FY25, driven by a consistent compound annual growth rate of more than 50% since 2018. That pace has continued into the current year. In the first three quarters of FY26, revenue reached Rs 530.3 crore, while the company has remained EBITDA positive.

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