Indian entertainment and media entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala has announced the formation of UCypher, an eSports tournament in which ten teams will compete.
The venture has the equivalent of up to US$14.7 million in initial backing, Screwvala claims, and will be the first of its kind serving a major eSports fan base in India.
Screwvala said in a company statement: “We want something out of the box, something disruptive, and something that creates an impact. First we got associated with Kabaddi (Pro Kabaddi League), and now we are going to launch an eSports league.
The eSports phenomenon has developed more slowly in India than in other countries due to bandwidth deficiencies, Screwvala said. However, the advent of mobile technology had changed trhe dynamic and Indians are now increasingly getting involved in eSports.
The entrepreneur is planning a launch of UCypher around mid-2017.