Let's Game Now Raises ₹30 Cr to Build Franchise Esports League ISGL

Bengaluru-based esports company Let's Game Now has secured ₹30 crore in fresh funding, according to Inc42. Industrialist Anand Mahindra led the round alongside Bestvantage Investments and an unnamed family office from the UAE. The money is earmarked for the Indian Super Gaming League (ISGL), a proposed franchise-style property that would mix competitive gaming with sports and entertainment. For Indian esports, this signals that serious backers are betting on team-based leagues rather than one-off tournaments.

Who is Let's Game Now?

Santanu Basu started the company in 2018. It works as a bridge between brands and gamers, runs online competitions and offline events, and offers live broadcasting services in South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Inc42 reports the startup's own numbers: more than 2,000 events organised, upwards of 30 clients, a footprint in 18 countries and a claimed reach of over 50 million viewers. It says its community has crossed 14 lakh members.

There is also a strong campus angle. The company claims a grassroots network covering:

• 400+ colleges across 80 cities
• More than 7 lakh students
• 20+ events and 30+ college club partnerships

Why a franchise league, and why now

Context matters here. Inc42 notes that the government's 2025 ban on real money gaming wiped out what had been a major income source for the industry. Since then, many gaming startups have pivoted hard towards esports, tournaments and brand-driven gaming.

ISGL is Let's Game Now's answer. Instead of depending on individual events, a franchise format aims to build something that returns season after season, with teams, players and fans who stick around. Think of how cricket and kabaddi leagues built loyal followings around city-based sides.

That comparison is not accidental. Mahindra brings experience from sports properties, with Inc42 pointing to his links with the Pro Kabaddi League and a Chess League. The broader market looks promising too: Inc42 cites India's gaming market at nearly $3.8 billion, projected to hit $9.2 billion by FY29, with an estimated 59.1 crore gamers in the country.

The big unanswered questions

Plenty is still under wraps. The company has not shared when ISGL will launch, how franchises will be structured, which games it will feature, how it plans to make money or what revenue it expects. It also has not broken down how the ₹30 crore will be split across league operations, marketing, technology and other functions.

Inc42 also flags the economics. Running a league is expensive, covering production, marketing and building out franchises. Revenue, meanwhile, rests on landing and keeping sponsors, broadcast partners and franchise owners. A large community and well-known investors are a useful base, but they do not by themselves prove the model works.

The college network could help with player sourcing and early audiences, and the company's existing brand relationships may open doors for sponsorship deals. Whether that converts into repeat viewership across multiple seasons is the real test.

What to watch next

Keep an eye out for an official ISGL launch date, the list of franchise owners, the game titles chosen and any broadcast or sponsor announcements. Those details will show whether this becomes a lasting fixture on India's esports calendar or stays a promising idea. For grassroots players and college squads, a league with a structured pathway could mean more competitive opportunities, but that depends on what Let's Game Now reveals in the coming months.