[Update] Exclusive: Zupee To Pivot To Short Video Content Post RMG Ban

Update | September 9, 13:45 

A day after Inc42 exclusively reported about Zupee’s foray into short video content space, the startup officially announced the launch of Zupee Studio. The short format content platform will bring engaging, culturally rooted stories to audiences across the country, it said in a statement.

The platform will feature 1-3 minute mini-episodes across genres, including romance, drama, thriller, comedy, and more, designed for mobile-first entertainment. Initially, it would be available for select Android users, before expanding to iOS.

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Original | September 8, 12:00

Z47-backed gaming platform Zupee is pivoting to short video content following the ban on real money gaming, sources told Inc42.

The startup began a pilot of the new offering last week, the sources said. Zupee does not plan to launch a separate app for the offering and would integrate the short video content within its existing app.

The platform will offer subscriptions for its short video content. Users will be able to access the platform from outside India as well. For this, Zupee is looking to incorporate a new overseas entity, most likely in the US.

Besides, the startup also plans to work on a new astrology platform. However, discussions on it are at a preliminary stage and nothing has been finalised yet.

A detailed questionnaire sent to Zupee didn’t elicit any response till the time of publishing this story.

Founded in 2018 by Dilsher Malhi and Siddhant Saurabh,  Zupee offers casual games like Ludo Supreme, Snakes & Ladders Plus, among others. On the back of the rising popularity of its real money gaming offerings, the startup claimed to have turned profitable in FY24. Its profit after tax stood at INR 146 Cr in FY24 as against a loss of INR 36 Cr in the previous fiscal year. Revenue zoomed 36.5% YoY to INR 1,123 Cr during the year.

However, like other real money gaming startups, Zupee had to discontinue its paid offerings due to the ‘Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025’. It currently only offers free-to-play games, and this will hit its top and bottom lines. 

The Online Gaming Act, which received President Droupadi Murmu’s assent last month, prohibits all forms of real money gaming, whether based on skill, chance or a hybrid of both. It also bans advertising and promotion of such games across all media platforms and blocks banks from processing financial transactions related to real money gaming platforms. 

The Act has a provision of imprisonment of up to three years and fines of up to INR 3 Cr for operators who facilitate these gaming platforms.

The Act has created havoc in the country’s gaming industry, with startups laying off employees in droves and pivoting to new business models.

Dream11 parent Dream Sports has shifted its focus to scaling its sports streaming platform FanCode and seeking opportunities in the AI space. Meanwhile, WinZO has forayed into the microdrama space and will now offer its real money games in international markets such as the US. 

The likes of MPL, PokerBaazi, Games24x7 and Head Digital Works are sacking hundreds of employees to deal with the real money gaming ban.