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The gaming scene in South East Asia is on the rise and The Esports Club (TEC) is spearheading this movement. Leading this charge for TEC is its founder Vamsi Krishna. He is a veteran in the gaming and tech industry and has worked with major companies like Nvidia and Microsoft.
Krishna decided to follow his passion in the gaming sector and started The Esports Club back in 2019. Now the company has nurtured a strong esports presence in India and South East Asia. When I got a chance to interview the man behind this movement, I was excited to learn about his perspective. We discussed Convergence 2023, the challenges of adapting Comic Con to India, their new project "Stream to Survive", and more.
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Vamsi Krishna talks about Esports in India, Convergence 2023, and The Esports Club Spartans
Q: The Esports Club (TEC) started back in July 2019. With the team now nearing five years, how has the journey been so far?
Vamsi Krishna: Our five-year journey began with just five members and has grown into a 60+ member team today operating in South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East Regions. We've significantly increased our revenue, working with nearly all endemic gaming brands and game publishers. The Esports Club has built grassroots to international esports in India, establishing robust processes for gaming events and activations.
Our tournament platform, the esports.club, is fully developed in-house by our developers. This ensures a superior user experience for our tournament participants and is a crucial factor for our global brand partners who value privacy policies. In 2023, we raised $3M in Pre-Series funding to fuel our growth and hired industry veterans from LG and Garena.
Q: Continuing on the journey of the team, you guys have organized multiple successful tournaments. What are some avenues you and your team would like to explore in the future?
Vamsi Krishna: In 2023, we organized the most gaming and esports events in India, including notable ones like Convergence 2023 in partnership with RIOT Games, where we hosted an international Valorant tournament with top teams from various countries. Another highlight was the S8UL Gaming Festival, a unique event focused on entertainment and gaming celebration with 30 top gaming creators from S8UL.
Additionally, The Arena at Comic Con India, the largest gaming event, attracted tens of thousands of gaming enthusiasts and featured ten events over the last two years.
Looking ahead, we plan to expand our focus to colleges in India. Our internal survey reveals that 72% of core Indian gamers are students, highlighting the importance of connecting with this demographic. We believe college students are key to the growth of esports and gaming in India. By engaging effectively with student gamers through our TEC Spartans program, we aim to foster the next generation of esports talent and enthusiasts, creating a vibrant and sustainable ecosystem.
We also have a focused approach to expanding our gaming and esports reach with new business verticals. Maverik is our business vertical focused on the gaming creator market, providing talent management and marketing services to our clients
Q: The Esports Club (TEC) Spartans is growing the passion for esports on the ground level. What was the inspiration behind starting this project?
Vamsi Krishna: The inspiration behind TEC Spartans was to create a robust platform for student gamers to foster grassroots esports communities. With over 280 Spartans across 150+ colleges, we aim to build solid gaming communities at the grassroots level. We provide effective training programs that equip our Spartans with the skills to organize and conduct esports and gaming events in their colleges and cities, fostering a strong sense of brotherhood and collaboration.
Our Spartans benefit from opportunities to work on real gaming and esports tournaments, gaining valuable experience and the ability to earn while contributing to our projects. This hands-on experience boosts their confidence, preparing them for future careers in the gaming and esports industry. We aim to achieve 1,000 Spartans by the end of this year, expanding our presence to 350+ colleges. By nurturing this network of passionate student gamers, TEC Spartans is helping to build a sustainable and thriving esports ecosystem from the ground up.
Q: Last year you hosted Convergence 2023 in Bangalore. Any specific moment in that event that was the highlight of the event for you?
Vamsi Krishna: Convergence 2023 marked a significant milestone in Indian esports history as the first international esports tournament conducted on Indian soil. The event featured six teams, including four international invites and two local teams: FURIA Esports from Brazil, FUT Esports from Turkey, Team Vitality from France, Gen.G Esports from South Korea, Global Esports from India, and True Rippers from India. The meticulous six-month planning journey with Riot Games ensured a seamless execution.
For me, the emergence of True Rippers, who qualified from India and showcased outstanding performance against experienced international teams, was the highlight of Convergence 2023. Additionally, the overall execution of Convergence 2023 stood out, from the impressive stage setup and hospitality for international guests to the show flow and quality of content.
Broadcasting in multiple languages, including English, Hindi, and Korean, enhanced the experience for our diverse audience. The entire event, whether experienced in person or online, left a lasting impression and underscored the potential of Indian esports on the global stage.
Q: The Esports Club recently dropped a teaser for Stream to Survive. How was your experience with it?
Vamsi Krishna: The experience with "Stream to Survive" has been incredibly rewarding. Our goal was to break away from the mundane content being produced and introduce a fresh, dynamic concept to the subcontinent. Inspired by the popular "Drive to Survive," we aimed to bring a unique parody that engages and entertains our audience.
Our entire team at The Esports Club and Gossip.gg collaborated to create this exciting content, and the initial response has been overwhelmingly positive. This project has revitalized our content strategy and set a new benchmark for innovative esports storytelling.
Q: Comic Con is a global phenomenon that millions of people partake in. What were the challenges you faced adapting the event for the Indian audience?
Vamsi Krishna: Adapting The Arena at Comic Con India was remarkably seamless. Comic Con India, being the nation's biggest pop culture event, aligned perfectly with The Esports Club's vision as the largest premium esports organizer in India. The demographic alignment with the Comic Con audience made the integration effortless.
The Arena became a natural fit, providing an exciting gaming property that resonated well with attendees. The collaboration allowed us to access the largest on-ground audience and create a highly engaging gaming and esports event without significant challenges.
Q: Finally, what is your overall impression of the esports scene in Southeast Asia and where does The Esports Club stand in it?
Vamsi Krishna: The esports scene in Southeast Asia (SEA) has been rapidly emerging in recent years, with significant investments from publishers and brands. Game titles like Valorant and MLBB have become major hits in the region.
At TEC, we are committed to contributing to this growth. With our Singapore office, we aim to expand our operations across more SEA countries. Our global IPs, such as Convergence and the TEC Challenger series, facilitate inter-regional cross-play, offering players and talent in the region opportunities to prove their skills and learn from the best across various regions.
While we are still in the early stages of our expansion, the SEA region is a critical part of our roadmap. We are taking a strategic and measured approach to our growth, ensuring sustainable and impactful progress. Our goal is to build cross-regional opportunities that allow Indian esports to benefit from competing with SEA players and vice versa. By fostering this collaborative environment, we aim to elevate the esports ecosystem in both regions.
