STAN CEO Parth Chadha Explains How India’s Gaming Communities Are Powering Esports, Monetisation, and Industry’s Future

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Esports & Gaming: Crossing an impressive milestone of 20 million downloads, STAN has rapidly emerged as a leading gaming community platform in India. This was achieved through strategic brand collaborations and a strong focus on creator-driven engagement.

By offering gamers and esports enthusiasts early monetisation opportunities, exclusive digital collectibles, and interactive community experiences, STAN has created an ecosystem that resonates with millions. Events like STANFest and collaborations with top gaming publishers have further strengthened its connection with the gaming community, making it one of the most influential players in India's esports and gaming ecosystem.

In an email interaction with myKhel, Parth Chadha, Co-Founder & CEO of STAN, shed light on the platform's journey, key challenges, and strategies to scale up to 50 million users. He discussed how STAN is tackling India-specific issues such as fragmented gaming communities, limited monetisation avenues for creators, and internet accessibility disparities.

With over two lakh creators on board, STAN is ensuring that they have the right tools, brand collaborations, and fan engagement features to thrive. Additionally, its partnerships with over 70 game publishers, including global giants, allow Indian gamers access to exclusive in-game experiences, premium tournaments, and cutting-edge esports opportunities.

Looking ahead, Chadha envisions STAN playing a pivotal role in shaping India's gaming future and even expanding into global markets. The platform is actively exploring partnerships beyond gaming, with brands in fintech, lifestyle, and FMCG sectors seeking to engage with India's growing Gen Z and millennial gaming audience.

Moreover, STAN's recent collaboration with FanCraze and ICC is redefining the way sports engagement works by integrating digital collectibles and interactive fan experiences into mainstream cricket. With India's gaming industry projected to reach ₹38,800 crore by 2026, Mr Chadha sees STAN positioning itself at the forefront of this revolution, bridging the gap between gamers, content creators, and brands in a rapidly evolving digital era. Here are the excerpts:

Q: STAN has grown rapidly, reaching over 20 million downloads. What were the key factors behind this growth, and how do you plan to scale further to achieve your 50-million-user goal?

Ans: STAN's rapid growth to 20M+ downloads has been fueled by our deep understanding of India's Gaming ecosystem, strategic brand collaboration and a strong focus on creator-led engagement. By offering gamers and Esports enthusiasts early monetisation opportunities and interactive community experiences, we've built a platform that resonates with millions. Our events like STANFest, further contribute towards strengthening our connection with the community.

To scale further and reach 50M users, we intend to enhance our platform features, expand partnerships with creators and gaming brands and introduce more immersive experiences for our users to keep them engaged while driving organic growth.

Q: What are some India-specific challenges and opportunities that influenced your approach to building a dedicated gaming community platform?

Ans: India's gaming landscape presents both challenges and opportunities. While the growth of mobile gaming and Esports offers immense potential, factors like divided communities, limited monetisation avenues for creators and varying internet accessibility pose obstacles.

We, as a community-led startup, address these by creating a united platform that connects gamers and enables earnings through engagement. By using regional content, influencer collaborations and engaging events, we have been able to tap into India's diverse gaming audience, driving adoption and loyalty.

Q: With over 2 lakh creators on STAN, how are you ensuring they have the right tools and monetisation opportunities to thrive on the platform?

Ans: With over 2 Lakh creators on STAN, we focus to ensure that the creators have the right tools and monetisation opportunities to help them succeed. STAN enables creators to earn through digital collectibles, exclusive content and fan engagement features. We also facilitate brand collaborations, esports partnerships and community-driven events to maximise their visibility.

Q: STAN has collaborated with over 70 game publishers, including 30% global companies. How do these partnerships enhance the gaming experience for Indian users, and what can we expect in the future?

Ans: Partnerships with publishers enable STAN to offer exclusive in-game experiences, early access to content and finer engagement opportunities for gamers. By working with both Indian and International publishers, we bridge the gap between global gaming trends and India's esports ecosystem. Players get access to premium tournaments, unique in-game rewards and digital collectibles.

As we move ahead, we aim to deepen these partnerships by organising gaming events, expanding our esports ecosystem and launching regional content tailored for a wide range of Indian audiences. This will further cement STAN's position as the go to community-driven gaming platform.

Q: How do features like STAN Elite Customs & Scrims set STAN apart from other gaming platforms, and what role do they play in supporting aspiring esports players?

Ans: STAN Elite Customs and Scrims set us apart by providing aspiring Esports players access to a competitive and structured environment to sharpen their skills, exclusive tournaments. Unlike generic matchmaking systems, our curated scrims help players refine strategies, build team partnerships and gain exposure to potential esports organisations.

These features continue to help rising talents hone their skills and move closer to professional esports. As we scale, we intend to launch more structured leagues, talent scouting initiatives and cash-prize events to further contribute to India's growing esports community.

Q: The platform has attracted major brands like Honda, Swiggy, and Nykaa. What makes STAN an appealing marketing avenue for non-gaming brands, and how do these partnerships contribute to the community experience?

Ans: STAN attracts non-gaming brands like Honda, Swiggy, Nykka etc by offering them access to a highly engaged Gen Z and millennial gaming community. Through in-game activations, influencer collaborations and esports sponsorships, brands integrate themselves seamlessly into the gaming culture.

This enhances user experience with exclusive rewards. Perks, contests and unique brand-driven events. Such partnerships create a win-win for both the parties involved, offering brands organic engagement while enhancing the gaming ecosystem.

Looking forward, we are now targeting brands in gaming gear, fintech, lifestyle, and FMCG to create more impactful collaborations that benefit both our community and partners.

Q: India's gaming industry is booming, projected to reach ₹38,800 crore by 2026. How do you see the role of gaming communities evolving in this growth, and where does STAN fit into this changing landscape?

Ans: India's gaming communities are at the heart of the industry's rapid expansion, pushing engagement, content creation and the rise of esports. As gaming witnesses a shift from being a merry hobby to a mainstream career path, these communities will drive monetisation, brand collaborations and fan-driven strong ecosystems. STAN as a gaming community platform is shaping this evolution by providing a platform where gamers, influencers and brands converge- unleashing new revenue streams through exclusive content, tournaments and creator-led experiences. By fostering deeper connections and opportunities, STAN is not just keeping pace with the industry's expansion but also actively driving its future.

Q: Beyond India, do you see potential for STAN to expand into other Asian markets or globally? If so, what steps are you taking to make STAN a dominant force in gaming communities worldwide

Ans: Indeed. STAN has immense potential to expand beyond India into other Asian Markets and globally, given the rapid growth of gaming communities worldwide. As per the data, The global gaming market was valued at USD 319.80 billion in 2024. The global market is estimated at USD 991.74 billion by 2033 from USD 362.65 billion in 2025, rising at a CAGR of 13.40% from 2025 to 2033.

With esports, content creation and fan-driven engagement on the rise, STAN can establish its presence by collaborating with gaming influencers and forging strategic brand partnerships. Strengthening its tech infrastructure and adapting monetisation models to fit regional preferences will be key to scaling internationally.

Additionally, hosting country-specific esports tournaments and exclusive creator-led experiences can help us connect with diverse gaming cultures. By building an interconnected global ecosystem, we through STAN intend to redefine how gamers, creators and brands connect worldwide.

Q: Cricket has a massive fanbase in India. How do you see partnerships like yours and ICCs shaping the future of sports engagement in the country?

Ans. Our partnership with FanCraze will play a key role in merging mainstream cricket fandom and new-age digital engagement. By integrating ICC-Licensed products with STAN'S community driven features, fans will be able to participate in dynamic activities such as live audio rooms, influencer-led communities, quests, VIP events etc and have a more immersive experience beyond just watching matches. This blend of traditional sports and digital platforms is redefining how fans connect, making cricket more interactive, social, and rewarding.