Yashashvi Takallapalli, VP & GM Nostra, Shares His Perspective on Transforming India's Gaming Landscape and Pioneering Esports Initiatives
Yashashvi Takallapalli, the Vice President and GM of Nostra shares the insights into the company's growth and the role that Nostra has played in boosting the Indian esports ecosystem.
Nostra, which has emerged as India's and Southeast Asia's biggest gaming platform, has transformed the mobile gaming landscape to a great extent. With an active monthly user base of 75 million, the company has been actively providing users with an immersive gaming experience by offering them a curated selection of top games in different categories. India Today Gaming interacted with the VP and GM of Nostra, Yashashvi Takallapalli, who shared insights into the company's growth and the role that Nostra has played in boosting the Indian esports ecosystem. The excerpts of the interaction are mentioned below:
1. Can you provide an overview of Nostra's journey from its initial 75 million monthly active users (MAU) to its current phase of growth?
Our journey began in 2021 when we introduced games on Glance's 'smart' lock screen, providing users with an opportunity to discover and play games. In the beginning, our collection comprised just 40 games, but the response was astounding as nearly half a million users engaged in gaming activities daily. Users particularly appreciated the gaming experience on the lock screens and the added convenience of playing without the need to download separate games. These insights and user feedback paved the way for the dedicated gaming platform that we launched in 2023, called 'Nostra.'
Today, Nostra boasts a diverse array of gaming experiences, enabling users to explore and play games on demand, enjoy game streaming, and participate in live tournaments. As of 2022, Nostra had an impressive 75 million monthly active users, with a nearly balanced gender distribution—53% men and 47% women. What is even more remarkable is that 73% of our users hail from non-metro cities, highlighting the universal appeal of our platform.
Our user engagement metrics are equally compelling. Half of Nostra's new users continue to actively enjoy our platform even after 6 months, and first-month retention among retained users has grown by 80%. With over 500 games available across 15 exciting categories, Nostra has something for everyone. The most sought-after categories among our users are strategy (30%), puzzle (15%), and arcade games (12%).
2. In what ways does Nostra collaborate with game developers, publishers, or other industry stakeholders to promote the gaming ecosystem?
Globally, game developers face significant hurdles in attracting and retaining users, mainly due to the sheer volume of new games being released daily (over 700) and the alarming statistic that 90% of users abandon a game within just thirty days of installing it. Nostra has developed an inventive solution to these challenges by redefining user networks and engagement, surpassing the limitations of the conventional app model.
When game developers launch their games on Nostra's platform, they gain instant access to an extensive base of over 230 million active users spread across key gaming markets, such as India and Indonesia. What sets Nostra apart is our forward-thinking approach and advanced technology stack, which empowers developers to achieve nearly 10x reach and engagement compared to traditional app downloads. By incorporating strategic interventions throughout the user journey, Nostra also creates an innovative and immersive gaming experience that captivates users and sustains their interest in the long run.
3. What are the benefits or advantages for streamers who choose Nostra as their platform?
Currently, Nostra boasts 35 active streamers, ensuring a balanced gender representation of 50-50% to provide an inclusive and diverse viewing experience for our audience. By December 2023, our goal is to double our streamer base, aiming to onboard at least 50 more talented individuals who will contribute to enriching the streaming content on our platform. We also intend to collaborate with popular international game streamers who will showcase their skills to Nostra’s Indian audience.
Further, we are deeply committed to promoting esports in India. Our aim is to stream the majority of esports tournaments hosted in India on the Nostra platform, giving enthusiasts the opportunity to engage with top-notch competitive gaming action.
We are also conducting a pilot program with select game developers to introduce the LIVE experiences on their games. This will enable developers to seamlessly integrate live streaming functionality into their games, enabling any users to go live from within the game and share in-game content across multiple platforms in real time. By implementing this technology, game developers can increase user engagement, extend the time players spend playing and watching, and subsequently enhance their revenue streams. Additionally, the live streaming feature serves to educate users about different game situations while fostering a loyal and interconnected gaming community.
4. How does Nostra contribute to the overall gaming ecosystem?
At Nostra, we take immense pride in providing our users with an all-encompassing gaming experience. Our platform serves as a singular destination for everything gaming-related, offering a wide array of exciting features.
Firstly, we grant our users the convenience of playing instant games with just a simple click, eliminating the need for time-consuming downloads. This seamless access allows them to jump right into the gaming action and enjoy their favorite titles effortlessly. Additionally, Nostra is a treasure trove for gaming enthusiasts, offering a curated selection of over 500 top and latest games for users to discover, install, and rediscover at any time. We strive to keep our game library fresh and engaging to cater to diverse gaming preferences.
For those who love to immerse themselves in the gaming community, Nostra provides a captivating live-streaming experience. Users can watch their favorite games and content creators in real-time, simultaneously participating in scrims and experiencing the thrill of competitive play. But that's not all—our platform also hosts a vibrant gaming community where users can participate in tournaments, interact, engage in friendly banter, and stay updated with their preferred gaming news and the latest updates.
Nostra stands out as a dependable and consistent streaming platform, providing reliable viewership. Not only does Nostra deliver a vast viewership base, but it also empowers tournament organizers and content creators by offering scalability, valuable insights, content improvement opportunities, and avenues for sponsorships.
5. Has Nostra facilitated any partnerships or initiatives that have had a significant impact on the gaming industry as a whole?
Nostra has established partnerships with prominent tournament organizers in India and worldwide, ensuring users have access to the latest eSports action directly on their mobile lock screens. Today, every Indian tournament is broadcasted live on Nostra, offering comprehensive coverage of the gaming scene. As the country relied heavily on BGMI last year, Nostra swiftly adapted to the situation by showcasing tournaments of other popular games like Valorant, Pokémon Unite, CS:GO, and FIFA. These events garnered significant viewership, demonstrating that users enjoy watching competitive gaming beyond BGMI, diversifying the platform's appeal.
6. Are there any specific initiatives or events organized by Nostra to promote e-sports?
Since its inception, Nostra has played a pivotal role in elevating India's esports ecosystem. Boasting over 25 million monthly active users, esports and live streaming have emerged as the platform's fastest-growing segments. In its commitment to fostering the growth of esports and cultivating a strong contingent of professional athletes to represent India globally, Nostra has introduced various IPs and tournaments. These initiatives provide a unified platform for both grassroots and professional players to refine their skills.
Nostra Gaming Week, an exclusive monthly IP, enables amateur players to compete with top teams and players in India, fostering skill development, talent discovery, and a robust esports community. Additionally, the College Battleground tournament promotes esports at the grassroots level, encouraging young players to embrace competitive gaming. Together, these efforts contribute to the remarkable growth of esports within the country.
7. Can you highlight some notable achievements in the e-sports domain through Nostra's involvement?
In March, Nostra partnered with ESFI to bring the National Esports Championships (NESC) live to our users, selecting the Indian contingent for the upcoming 15th World Esports Championships (WEC). Additionally, we streamed multiple events from popular games like Pokemon Unite, Valorant, PubG New State, and CS:GO, organized by SkyEsports, Nodwin, and Upthrust eSports, catering to our users' diverse interests. Furthermore, we provided exclusive coverage of the Paris Major CS:GO tournament held in France, allowing Indian users to watch Europe and American esports athletes fiercely compete for the top spot, all in Hindi for their convenience.
We’re well on our way to making esports mainstream in the country. Nostra's cutting-edge experience features empower developers to select popular gamers for live streaming their gameplay directly on Nostra, both within the game and across various other social platforms. This innovative approach represents a fundamental shift, enabling users not only to play the game but also to watch and learn from other players, fostering heightened engagement and enhanced monetization opportunities for developers.
