Young startup iB Cricket was awarded the Startup Of The Year (VR Technology) Award at Entrepreneur India 2019. Entrepreneur India 2019 was the flagship annual event of Entrepreneur Media and had many startups competing for the prestigious Startup of the Year Award.
iB Cricket, a virtual reality sport, is developed by XR technology based startup ProYuga, which is backed by iB Hubs. ProYuga, based in Hyderabad, was co founded by Sama Vasantha Sai, an IIIT Hyderabad alumni and Kothinti Trivikrama Reddy, an IIT Delhi alumni who turned down a Rs. 1 crore job offer at a reputed MNC, prior to founding ProYuga.
iB Cricket is a highly immersive true sport virtual reality (VR) game with a potential to reach 500 million users across the world. This VR sport provides a complete gaming environment and gives a very realistic experience of playing cricket at magnificent stadiums, thanks to the game’s meticulous design. The game has a personalized AI coach and many global tournaments, which allow users to build their cricket career like that of their favorite cricketer’s. The startup has been strengthening its presence in India and also expanded to countries like UK, Singapore, Australia and Dubai.
iB Cricket achieved many milestones since its inception and recently collaborated with Viu to host the world’s first virtual reality cricket tournament, the iB Cricket Super Over League, where 12 prominent international cricketers like Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina, Herschelle Gibbs and McCullum competed against each other. iB Cricket also became the official VR gaming partner of 5 IPL teams—Chennai Super Kings, Delhi Capitals, Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
With a goal to make India a world leader in advanced technologies, iB Cricket and ProYuga work to provide VR platforms for immersive games at gaming arcades all over India.
Meta is developing its first true AR glasses, set to launch in 2027. Before the public release, employees will test the device starting in 2024. The company is also releasing new generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2023 and 2025 with enhanced features like a “viewfinder” display.
Specifications and Features
The AR glasses are expected to feature OLED displays and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, offering sophisticated AR and AI capabilities. They will enable users to interact with virtual objects and project high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world.
Design and Competition
Meta aims for a sleek design, potentially building on its Ray-Ban partnerships. The AR glasses market is competitive, with Apple and Google also investing heavily. Meta seeks to make its AR glasses a game-changer by offering a unique user experience.
Future Plans
In addition to AR glasses, Meta is expanding its VR offerings with new headsets like the Quest 3 and exploring other wearable technologies. The company is focused on reducing costs to make the AR glasses more consumer-friendly by launch.
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service
Nazara Technologies has sold its entire 71.54% stake in Sports Unity Private Limited, the company behind the multiplayer quiz game ‘Qunami’, for INR 7.15 lakh. This divestment, effective March 25, 2025, signifies a strategic shift for Nazara, which had previously acquired a controlling interest in Sports Unity in 2019 for INR 7.5 crore.
The decision to offload the stake comes as Sports Unity has faced financial difficulties, reporting no active business operations and a negative net worth of INR 0.45 crore at the end of FY24. This move aligns with Nazara’s broader strategy to streamline its operations and concentrate on more profitable ventures within the gaming sector.
This sale follows Nazara’s recent divestment of a 94.85% stake in another subsidiary, Open Play, to Moonshine Technologies for INR 104.33 crore. Despite reporting record quarterly revenue of INR 544.7 crore in Q3 FY25, Nazara experienced a 53.5% decline in net profit year-over-year.
Nazara continues to focus on enhancing its portfolio through strategic acquisitions and investments in high-potential gaming platforms while navigating the competitive landscape of the gaming industry.