India Notifies Online Gaming Rules to Regulate Money Games, Boost E‑Sports

India has officially notified the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026, which will come into effect on May 1, 2026. These rules operationalize the PROG Act, 2025, creating the Online Gaming Authority of India as a digital-first regulator to curb online money games while promoting e-sports and social gaming.

Section 19 of the Act empowers the Central Government to make rules to carry out its provisions. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), as the nodal Ministry, has accordingly prepared the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Rules, 2026, which will come into force on 1st May, 2026. The Rules have been finalised after extensive inter-Ministerial consultations and vetting by the Department of Legal Affairs.

Key Highlights of the Online Gaming Rules, 2026l

Legislative Background

• Parent Act: Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming (PROG) Act, 2025, enacted in August 2025
• Objective: Safeguard citizens from predatory money gaming platforms while enabling India’s growth as a global hub for e-sports and innovation

Online Gaming Authority of India (OGAI)

• Structure: Attached office of MeitY, headquartered in Delhi
• Composition: Chaired by Additional Secretary, MeitY; members include Joint Secretaries from Home Affairs, Finance, I&B, Sports, and Legal Affairs
• Functions:
  • Maintain and publish list of prohibited online money games
  • Conduct inquiries, issue directions, and codes of practice
  • Hear appeals against service providers’ grievance decisions
  • Coordinate with banks, payment systems, and law enforcement for enforcement

Determination of Online Games

• Classification Test: Rule 9 sets objective factors—payment of stakes, expectation of monetary winnings, revenue model, and monetisation of in-game assets
• Process: Triggered by Authority, service providers, or government notification
• Timeline: Determination to be completed within 90 days
• Outcome: Specific determination order for each game and provider

Registration & Compliance

• Mandatory Registration: Required for e-sports and notified categories of social games
• Certificate of Registration: Digital, valid up to 10 years
• Conditions: Providers must display determination/registration details, designate contact points, and comply with payment facilitation directions

User Safety Features

• Mandatory Safeguards: Age verification, parental controls, time restrictions, fair-play monitoring, counselling support, and grievance mechanisms
• Disclosure: Service providers must declare safety features at the time of application

Grievance Redressal & Appeals

• Two-Tier System:
  • First appeal to the Online Gaming Authority
  • Second appeal to the Secretary, MeitY
• Timelines: Each stage to be resolved within 30 days

Penalties & Enforcement

• Digital Proceedings: Conducted online unless physical presence is necessary
• Proportionate Penalties: Based on gain from non-compliance, harm to users, recurrence, and mitigation efforts
• Financial Oversight: Banks and payment systems must block transactions linked to prohibited money games

Policy Objectives

• Protect citizens, especially children, from addictive and predatory gaming
• Provide regulatory certainty with clear criteria and timelines
• Safeguard financial systems by cutting off illegal gaming transactions
• Enable coordinated enforcement across ministries, regulators, and states
• Uphold user rights with grievance redressal and statutory appeals

Summary

The Online Gaming Rules, 2026 mark a decisive step in India’s digital governance—balancing innovation in e-sports with strict safeguards against online money games. This framework positions India as a global gaming hub while protecting vulnerable users from financial and psychological harm.

Amazon India Commits $300M to Safer Jobs, Faster Deliveries and AI‑Powered Growth

Amazon India today announced that it plans to invest over INR 2800 crore (~USD 300M) to further strengthen associate safety, health, and financial wellbeing measures while strengthening one of India’s safest, fastest and most reliable operations network. This investment is part of the company’s broader plan to invest more than $35 billion in India by 2030, focusing on business expansion as well as three strategic pillars: AI-driven digitization, export growth, and job creation. Amazon will continue to expand both its core and quick commerce footprint to continue serving customers across India in minutes, hours, and days. This investment builds on the company’s INR 2000 crore (~USD 233M) investment in 2025, which enabled the launch of 17 new fulfillment centers, six sortation centers, and 75 last-mile delivery stations across India. In 2025, Amazon also launched its quick commerce offering, Amazon Now, and has since scaled it to over 300 micro-fulfillment centers across key cities to enable safer, faster deliveries.

“Since launching Amazon.in in 2013, we have built one of India’s safest, fastest, and most reliable operations networks, serving customers across every serviceable pin code in the country. At the heart of this network are our people, and we remain committed to raising the bar on associate safety, health, and financial wellbeing. This year, we are investing over INR 2800 crore (~USD 300 million) to further strengthen these efforts, while continuing to scale our operations network and advance the technology that enables faster, safer, and more reliable deliveries for customers. Our initiatives also align with national priorities such as Ayushman Bharat and Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, helping expand access to healthcare and financial inclusion for our associates,” said Abhinav Singh, VP - Operations, Amazon India and Australia.

Strengthening associate safety, health, and financial wellbeing

Amazon’s programs and initiatives for associates working across the network have long been aligned with several of the standards notified under the Labour Codes. This latest investment will further strengthen efforts focused on healthcare and financial security for tens of thousands of associates and partners. The efforts in 2026 include scaling Project Ashray to provide accessible rest facilities for delivery associates, expanding health and wellness programs such as Sushruta - a wide-ranging health and wellness program for long-haul truck drivers and their family members, along with new initiatives, while enabling access to preventive healthcare through nationwide medical camps. The company is also enhancing medical and accident insurance, while extending financial inclusion and social security access through the Samriddhi program by enabling enrolment in schemes like Ayushman Bharat Health Account and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana for Amazon associates and community members. In addition, Amazon continues to support education for associates’ children through the Pratidhi scholarship and mentorship program, reinforcing its commitment to holistic well-being across its operations network.

Investing in infrastructure and technology to strengthen operations

Amazon will invest in expanding and upgrading its pan-India operations network—including fulfillment centers, sortation centers, and delivery stations—to increase capacity and improve delivery speeds for customers in tier 2 and 3 cities across India. These investments will also support sellers and small businesses and contribute to local economic growth. The company also plans to more than double Amazon Now's footprint in the cities it currently operates in and to more cities across India. These investments will enable Amazon to serve customers across a wide range of delivery speeds - from minutes to hours to days, based on their needs.

Amazon's industry-leading facilities are climate controlled and built with advanced engineering systems to improve energy efficiency, enhance workplace safety, and support a more inclusive environment. The company continues to invest in cooling solutions such as enhanced ventilation, fans, spot coolers, access to cold water and hydrating beverages, safety and accessibility features for people with disabilities, and improved rest areas.

Amazon will invest in technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, to make its operations network safer and more efficient. This includes deploying tools to improve on-road safety through alerts for Delivery Service Partners and delivery associates on unsafe driving behaviors, and prompts for rest breaks, as well as using AI models to assess route complexity and enable more equitable workload distribution. It also includes enhancements to the Driver app with better navigation for unstructured addresses, improved earnings transparency, and simplified workflows.

Know more about Amazon’s initiatives for associates in 2026:

• Expanding rest facilities for delivery associates – Amazon will expand Project Ashray, its network of air-conditioned rest stops, beyond the current 100 locations in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, among others. These facilities provide comfortable seating, clean washrooms, drinking water, charging stations, and first-aid support, serving over 150,000 delivery associates every month, including those outside Amazon’s network.
• Expanding health and wellness support for associates and drivers – Programs such as Sushruta, a wide-ranging health and wellness program for long-haul truck drivers and their family members, will continue to expand alongside a new wellness program focused on mental health and ergonomic care.
• Providing access to preventive healthcare – Amazon will offer free health check-ups through nationwide medical camps, extending access to preventive care and building on its 2025 efforts, which included comprehensive health and wellbeing programs for tens of thousands of associates and partners. These ongoing camps provide preventive health screenings (eye, dental, BMI, and physician consultations), hydration guidance, and early detection support.
• Enhancing insurance coverage and wellness support – Amazon plans to strengthen medical and accident insurance for delivery associates working with Delivery Service Partners through upgraded Group Mediclaim and Group Personal Accident policies, with an integrated wellness package among the most comprehensive in the sector.
• Enabling access to financial and social security benefits – Through Samriddhi, Amazon will enable tens of thousands of associates and more than 200,000 community members to access government benefits such as e-Shram cards, health insurance, pension programs, and educational assistance across states including Gujarat, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, among others.
• Supporting education for associates’ children – Under the Pratidhi program, Amazon will provide scholarships to children of associates from Class 3 to Class 12, including children with disabilities, along with mentorship from Amazon leaders. In 2025 alone, 5000 scholarships were awarded to associates' children.

Alvarez & Marsal Appoints Aditya Jain as MD to Scale GCC and Drive Analytics-led Transformation

Aditya Jain

Leading global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) India has announced the appointment of Aditya Jain as Managing Director within its Business Transformation Services practice. Based in Gurugram, Mr. Jain will focus on scaling A&M’s Global Capability Center (GCC) and strengthening its sector-capabilities, leveraging analytics and technology to deliver superior value to clients.

Mr. Jain has over 25 years of experience in building and scaling global businesses, with a strong track record of applying analytics and technology to drive client impact. He has extensive experience in developing high-performing teams and scalable platforms that deliver measurable business outcomes.

Prior to joining A&M, Mr. Jain was with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he served as Executive Director and Global Head of Research, leading a global team of over 500 analysts. He also led BCG’s Global Capability Center in India, scaling a 900+ member team across knowledge, analytics and digital capabilities. Earlier, he was a core member of Evalueserve’s initial team, contributing to its growth into a global organization serving Fortune 1000 clients.

Himanshu Bajaj, Managing Director & Head – A&M India and GCC, said, “As organizations increasingly look to scale analytics and technology capabilities, Global Capability Centers are becoming central to delivering transformation at speed and scale. Aditya’s experience in building global teams and integrating analytics with business strategy will be instrumental in strengthening our platform and driving greater impact for clients.”

Manish Goyal, Managing Director and Head – GCC, A&M, added, “We are pleased to welcome Aditya to A&M’s Global Capability Center. His experience in building and scaling analytics and research capabilities will enhance our ability to serve global clients through our GCC. He brings strong leadership in capability building and innovation, which will be key to expanding our platform and delivering differentiated outcomes.”

Aditya Jain, Managing Director, A&M Global Capability Center, said, “Global Capability Centers are evolving into strategic engines for innovation, analytics, and digital transformation. Organizations are increasingly leveraging these platforms to build scalable, future-ready capabilities. A&M’s integrated approach and focus on execution provide a strong foundation to help clients unlock value from these investments, and I look forward to contributing to this journey.”

About Alvarez & Marsal

Founded in 1983, Alvarez & Marsal is a leading global professional services firm. Renowned for its leadership, action, and results, Alvarez & Marsal provides advisory, business performance improvement, and turnaround management services, delivering practical solutions to address clients' unique challenges. With a worldwide network of experienced operators, world-class consultants, former regulators, and industry authorities, Alvarez & Marsal helps corporates, boards, private equity firms, law firms, and government agencies drive transformation, mitigate risk, and unlock value at every stage of growth.

To learn more, visit: AlvarezandMarsal.com.

MS Dhoni & Top Cricketers Back LightFury’s $11M Raise for AAA eCricket Game from India

• Cricket Stars MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya along with Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Tilak Varma and Sai Sudharsan come on board as Investors; the funding round drew investments from Blume, V3 Ventures, MIXI and Times Internet.

LightFury Games (LFG), a AAA-focused game-tech studio, today announced it has raised US$11 million in its Pre-Series A. The 100-member studio spans deep creative talent and advanced technical capability to build premium, globally competitive games. Its backers include Blume, V3 Ventures, MIXI, Times Internet and strategic investments from top members of the Indian cricket team.

In a defining endorsement for the company and its debut title ‘eCricket’, some of the biggest names in the world of cricket - MS Dhoni, Jasprit Bumrah, Hardik Pandya, along with Shreyas Iyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Tilak Varma and Sai Sudharsan have joined the round as investors.

At a time when cricket remains one of the world’s most-followed sports, the backing of iconic and leading cricketers gives LightFury Games a rare athlete-backed momentum as it builds ‘eCricket’, a AAA title from India with global ambitions, slated for release in 2026 on mobile.

The fresh capital will be primarily deployed to complete game development and strengthen its live operations (live ops) capabilities. This includes the post-launch infrastructure content pipelines and systems designed to deliver a high-quality, continuously evolving player experience at scale. With cricket commanding a global audience estimated to be over 2.5 billion, LightFury aims to address a significant gap in the sports gaming category by delivering a technically advanced, competitive, and live-service-driven Cricket e-game Franchise from India. The 100-strong studio combines creative vision with technical innovation to create high-quality, globally competitive games.

“We’ve backed LightFury from inception, in their mission to pioneer a new generation of Indian gaming studios, building IPs with global ambition. Building a AAA game is neither easy nor quick - it takes sustained creative excellence, deep technical expertise, and long-term discipline. In LightFury, we’ve seen a team come together from different parts of the world, with a shared passion and incredible attention to detail, depth and creativity. Supercharged by natively built AI tools, we are excited for the world to experience eCricket very soon. We would like it to be the Dhurandhar of Indian gaming history,” said Karthik Reddy, Co-founder and Managing Partner, Blume Ventures.

Arjun Vaidya, Managing Partner of V3 Ventures, added, “I'm a die-hard cricket fan, and today it is one of the biggest sports in the world. Yet it still does not have a definitive game in the way football, basketball or American football do. That is the gap. What gives us confidence is not just the size of the market, but the quality of gameplay, overall experience and player associations that LightFury has been building behind the scenes with real intent. Cricket is a uniquely complex sport, and its place at the intersection of culture, community and technology for nearly a quarter of the world’s population makes the opportunity around eCricket even more exciting. We’re excited to back LightFury as they work to build an impactful, category-defining global title and give our favourite sport the game it deserves.”

The global gaming market is projected to surpass US $400 billion in the coming years, and India’s gaming ecosystem is expected to reach US $9.89 billion by 2031 (growing at a CAGR of 14.55% between 2026 and 2031). LightFury Games is positioning itself at the forefront of India’s rise as a global game development hub. The company has invested over the past two years in core development capabilities, infrastructure, and analytics systems to enable continuous content, deep player engagement and long-term operational excellence.

“India has long been one of the world’s biggest gaming markets. Yet it has not been able to build a truly world-class AAA sports title. With eCricket, we want to change that. We are building from India for the world, with a very high bar on quality, deep competitive gameplay, and true-to-sport authenticity. This partnership ensures that we deliver on that vision and bring eCricket to fans soon in 2026. For us, this is much bigger than a game launch. It is about proving that India can build premium gaming IPs for the world, and not just play it.” says Karan Shroff, Co-Founder & CEO, LightFury Games

On what stood out to him about this collaboration, MS Dhoni said, “I’ve seen a lot of cricket games over the years, and there’s always been something missing. When LightFury showed me what they were working on, I felt they were trying to close that gap. It’s a big undertaking, building something like this out of India for a global audience. I’m here to contribute what I can from my time in the game, and make sure the details hold up. The rest is up to them, and from what I’ve seen, they’ll do a good job.”

Speaking about the challenge of capturing the depth of cricket in a game, Jasprit Bumrah who is exclusively managed by RISE Worldwide, added, “Cricket is a game of fine margins, and that’s what stood out to me about eCricket. The focus on detail and authenticity is impressive. I’m happy to back a team that is thinking deeply about the sport and building something meaningful from India.”

Sharing his perspective on cricket’s scale and fan energy, Hardik Pandya said, “Cricket is pressure, skill, and entertainment all at once. Fans want to feel that energy. What excites me about eCricket is that it is not trying to make cricket smaller for gaming. It is trying to make gaming rise to the scale of cricket. That is a bold idea, and I was very excited when the LightFury team approached me to be a part of the game.”

eCricket, built on Unreal Engine 5 and designed for mobile-first play, delivers a progression-driven experience with evolving player journeys shaped by real-time decisions. Its physics-led gameplay, combined with strategic batting and bowling systems, authentically captures real-world styles and match dynamics, while dynamic AI commentary and broadcast-style presentation ensure no two matches feel the same. Earlier this year, LightFury Games had also announced securing the global player roster license of over 600 professional cricketers featuring stars like Chris Gayle, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Kane Williamson, Pat Cummins, Jos Buttler, Travis Head and Andre Russell, marking one of the largest rosters in cricket gaming. eCricket reflects LightFury’s vision to build a definitive, globally competitive cricket gaming franchise, positioning India at the forefront of premium sports game development.

About LightFury Games:

Founded in 2024 by industry veterans Karan Shroff, Anurag Banerjee, and Tina Balachandran, LightFury Games is India’s premier AAA-focused game-tech studio dedicated to building high-quality, cutting-edge gaming experiences. Together, the leadership team has worked on more than 40 AAA titles.

With the Pre-Series A, LightFury Games has raised two successful rounds. Its backers include Blume, V3 Ventures, MIXI, Times Internet and strategic investments from top members of the Indian cricket team. The 100-strong studio combines creative vision with technical innovation to create high-quality, globally competitive games. Since its inception, LightFury Games has put world-class tech and talent at the centre of its planning and growth and strives to revolutionise India’s role as a hub for world-class game development.

To know more, please visit https://www.lightfurygames.com/

Jio and Allianz Forge 50:50 Insurance Venture in India

• This partnership brings together Jio Financial Services’ leading digital capabilities and distribution reach with Allianz’s global expertise in insurance to support the national vision of 'Insurance for All by 2047'.
• The joint venture will offer comprehensive and innovative protection solutions to the people and businesses of India across general and health insurance.

Jio Financial Services Limited (JFSL) and Allianz Group (Allianz), through its wholly-owned subsidiary Allianz Europe B.V., today entered into a binding agreement to form a 50:50 primary insurance joint venture (JV) – covering general insurance and health insurance – to serve the rapidly expanding Indian insurance sector. The binding agreement formalizes a partnership first announced in July 2025.

This partnership will bring together two highly trusted financial services brands, recognized for their commitment to customer-centricity, to deliver innovative and accessible protection solutions tailored to the specific needs of the people and businesses of India. Customers in India will benefit from the combination of JFSL’s extensive digital reach and deep understanding of the Indian market and Allianz’s high-quality insurance products and services that reflect a distinguished history of expertise and care for protecting what matters most to people.

The JV will launch operations upon receipt of the necessary statutory and regulatory approvals. JFSL and Allianz are also working towards a separate binding agreement for life insurance business in India.

India’s strong economic progress and favourable demographics underscore the growing need for long-term financial security and inclusive protection solutions. With a young population and a rising middle-class, expanding insurance coverage is essential to strengthening the country’s long-term resilience by protecting its citizens and their assets. To meet these needs, the joint venture will aim to create a fundamentally differentiated way of designing, distributing, and delivering insurance solutions at scale in India.

For JFSL, enabling access to world-class insurance is central to its mission of empowering every Indian with simple, secure, seamless, and smart financial solutions – delivered digitally, at scale, and built around the needs of people at every income level.

Mukesh D. Ambani said:

Our Founder, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani, built Reliance on one abiding belief - that the power of the best must be made available to every Indian, not just the privileged few. Jio Financial Services is proud to carry that belief into financial services.

Insurance is not just a product, but it is the foundation upon which families build their futures with confidence and are able to pursue their ambitions without fear. 'Insurance for All by 2047' is a national mission and every institution that has been entrusted with the scale and trust of the Indian people has a duty to fulfil it. Jio Financial Services is committed to doing exactly that.

I am proud to partner with Allianz, one of the world's most respected insurance groups, across the insurance value chain as our exclusive insurance partner. I believe that the combination of Jio's unmatched digital consumer reach and Allianz's deep global insurance expertise is uniquely powerful.

Together, we will deliver world-class insurance solutions to every corner of India — simple to understand, easily accessible through our wide-spread channels, affordable, and powered by technology that works for every Indian. This is our commitment to every Indian, and our contribution to the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision.”

Oliver Bäte, Chief Executive Officer, Allianz SE, said:

Allianz Group is the most valuable and trusted insurance brand worldwide, a distinction earned over 136 years of supporting the protection needs and growth ambitions of our customers, who come to us from all walks of life. As part of our purpose, we keep promises that transcend borders and span generations

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By combining our expertise, high-quality products, and exceptional service with the unrivalled reach and capabilities of Jio Financial Services, our exclusive partner across the insurance value chain in India, we will create a more resilient and financially secure future for India, and will help to make the ‘Insurance for All by 2047’ vision a reality.

Our two companies share a profound conviction in the importance of inclusive economic growth and the powerful role that insurance plays in creating shared, sustainable prosperity for more people. Together, we will make protection simpler, more accessible, and more relevant for individuals, families, entrepreneurs and businesses across the country, and we will build a completely new insurance model for India: one designed around customers and their needs.”