Raj Thakkar

Sports, gaming, and esports are no longer “emerging” categories but most brands still struggle to turn culture into measurable business growth.The gap isn’t attention. It’s execution, monetization, and ecosystem thinking.For over 12 years, I’ve been building at the intersection of sports, gaming, and esports helping organizations move beyond experimentation to scalable, commercially viable impact.Today, as Senior Director – Sports, Gaming & Esports at Dentsu India, I focus on one core challenge: helping brands and businesses win where culture, fandom, and technology collide. That means building future-ready capabilities, unlocking new revenue streams, and creating measurable client outcomes across one of the fastest-evolving entertainment ecosystems.The challenge in this space is clear: fragmented audiences, rapidly shifting platforms, and a constant pressure to stay culturally relevant. Brands that treat gaming and esports like traditional media often miss the opportunity to build real engagement, community, and long-term value.My approach has always been equal parts operator and builder.I’ve helped launch and scale category-defining properties, including the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL) the world’s first and largest franchise-based e-cricket league. At JioGames, I led operations for marquee tournaments, managing publisher partnerships, sponsor deliverables, and high-impact integrations for brands like Qualcomm and MediaTek. Across Dentsu India, Reliance Jio, JetSynthesys, Tesseract Esports, and Infamous Gaming, I’ve worked on everything from league operations and broadcast production to partnerships, monetization, and ecosystem development.What gives me a unique lens is that I didn’t start in a boardroom, I started as a professional esports athlete representing India internationally. That player-first perspective, combined with experience across Southeast Asia, Europe, and North America, helps me bridge community insight with commercial strategy.If you’re building in sports, gaming, esports, youth culture, or immersive experiences or looking to unlock growth through partnerships, content, and community-led ecosystems let’s connect.