In the esports and gaming ecosystem, achieving success demands a clear vision, a strong team, and effective marketing strategies. This is where Orangutan comes in. Co-founded by Jai Shah and Yash Bhanushali, Orangutan is an e-gaming organisation dedicated to Battleground Mobile India (BGMI), Free Fire and Valorant, among others.  

The company operates three core verticals: esports, talent management, and apparel, and currently has partnerships and sponsorships with Rooter, Puma, Cybeart, Kreo, Wings and Raiaskaran. 

In an industry that has seen explosive growth and evolution, Orangutan aims to stand out as a dynamic and forward-thinking player in the esports and gaming landscape. Founded during the covid-19 pandemic, Shah and Bhanushali identified a unique opportunity to professionalise and elevate gaming in India. Their organisation, Orangutan, has since become a beacon for aspiring gamers, talent, and brands looking to make their mark in esports.

A month ago, Orangutan partnered with Rooter, as its official streaming partner to boost esports in India. Announced with the hashtag #RootForOrangutan and videos featuring Orangutan's FreeFire and BGMI athletes, the partnership will see Rooter co-powering Orangutan, with its logo on the team jerseys. Furthermore, this alliance will exclusively stream on Rooter, offering fans unique and entertaining content, including fun streams and competition coverage.

Manifest caught up with Jai Shah, co-founder, Orangutan and Yash Bhanushali, co-founder, Orangutan, to get the low down on their vision behind Orangutan, the strategic moves that have positioned their company at the forefront of India's esports revolution, their innovative training facility 'The Forest,' their diverse range of partnerships and what it takes to thrive in this fast-paced esports industry.

Vision

Shah and Bhanushali highlighted that the surge in gaming and esports activities during the peak pandemic period served as the driving force behind launching Orangutan, guiding their strategic shifts to seize emerging opportunities.

Shah said, "We launched during covid when gaming was taking off. Sitting at home, people started playing a lot of video games, and esports started to scale up but never became a sport. It was a big form of entertainment during the pandemic, but it wasn’t at a professional level. That was our inroad for us to give gaming professionals this platform."

During a pivotal period marked by a surge in gaming and esports engagement, Bhanushali reflected on Orangutan's strategic evolution. He noted that during this time, the company diversified its services, extending into social media production. This move aligned with the practices of numerous marketing firms and aimed to cater to both esports gaming companies and non-endemic brands.

"We aimed to maintain gaming as our core focus while exploring new opportunities. Initially, we supported game stacking, which prompted our expansion into production. Amidst game bans like PUBG, which later became BGMI, we had to establish a data centre in India. This led us to concentrate on growing esports in the country, prompting the scaling up of our esports operations and the closure of other verticals. We've experienced success since our inception, but as esports fluctuates, we're now navigating a transition phase. We're refreshing our approach, bringing in new faces and players to rejuvenate our esports vertical," Bhanushali shared. 

Shah reflected on the competitive nature of esports, likening it to traditional sports. He emphasised the transient nature of players and the importance of building a lasting culture and community. 

Shah articulated, "Within the dynamic landscape of the game, players inevitably transition in and out. This flux is inherent to the sport. Our overarching goal is to cultivate a sustainable culture. While individuals may cycle through our training facility, affectionately dubbed 'the forest,' our unwavering focus remains on the support and camaraderie we foster. Esports necessitates this ethos—it must function seamlessly. My rationale is rooted in recognising that my ascension in esports doesn't solely define my legacy; it's about embracing the multitude of games that dominate the esports sphere. Thus, our approach is inclusive, drawing insights from various sporting disciplines, both nationally and internationally. This inclusive mindset is integral to the essence of the sport itself, fostering a dedicated and cohesive community within our ecosystem."

Partners

Shah examined the financial growth of Orangutan over time, particularly through sponsorship partnerships, and accentuated the importance of aligning with brands that share their vision and cater to their target demographic.

He expressed, "In crafting any business strategy, the ultimate aim is scalability and increased profitability. Sponsorship plays a pivotal role. Therefore, our approach to sponsorship was meticulously planned. We forged partnerships with individuals and entities whose ethos resonated with our vision. Early on, we recognised the potential of sponsorship in esports as a powerful tool for advertising and marketing."

"Our youthful target demographic is a prime draw for brands aiming to engage with younger consumers. Recognising this gap, we positioned ourselves as a bridge between brands and this elusive audience. One such successful partnership was with Cybeart, a Canadian brand seeking entry into the Indian market. Our collaboration not only benefited from their sponsorship but also entailed strategic support in navigating the Indian market landscape. Additionally, our association with Puma as a sponsor extends beyond mere financial support; they also design our merchandise, adding value to our players' tournaments. Furthermore, we've engaged in short-term brand placement partnerships with companies like Too Yum!, further solidifying our standing as a go-to platform for brand engagement in the esports realm," he added.

The Forest

Bhanushali described how The Forest, Orangutan's training facility, is tailored to enhance the performance and well-being of players, underlining personalised design, technological support, and facilities for physical and mental health.

He shared, "The facility was designed and restructured from scratch to make it personalised. Everything was created from the heart and customised for gaming content creators. There's Wi-Fi and well-built software so that players can perform at their peak level. It's well-positioned to host coaches, analysts, and managers. The facility has been able to get players from tier 3 and 4 cities who are not well known and groomed them. We have facilities like the gym and outdoor space for them to play physical games as well and they need to balance the digital and physical world and maintain their mental wellbeing." 

"We agree that exercise is important, however, we don’t force that on our players. The players voluntarily take a break and engage in non-screen activities. They each have their diets which are curated for them at the facility by the cooks so that they are fit," added Bhanushali.

Talent management vertical

Shah explained the role of the talent management vertical in Orangutan's strategy, focusing on signing gaming creators, content distribution, and enhancing audience engagement. 

"We sign gaming creators exclusively and manage all their decisions. In return, they help us with distribution. That's one layer. We need to amplify content creators to generate more content. There are two types of audiences: those entertained by content creators and those who are hardcore gamers looking to learn," Shah expressed. 

Elaborating on Orangutan's strategy for engaging both casual and professional gamers through effective casting and content creation, Shah highlighted the importance of audience engagement, player performance, and marketing. 

"We handle casting for both casual gamers and professional players. The reason for our video planning is the highly active gaming audience, who watch tournaments and replays. The key is to help e-gaming content creators turn their audience into fans. There is already an audience and a distribution platform for these tournaments, but it's about the content they create and how they attract viewers," said Shah. 

"It's crucial to understand what's happening in the gaming world and focus on player performance. Marketing is done by distributors and their followers, while we focus on creating great content and ensuring our players become heroes in big tournaments. We also provide on-screen grooming to make them media-ready and comfortable facing the camera," he added.

Content and marketing strategies

Shah highlighted the centrality of the audience in their strategy and the importance of publishers, casual players, and content creation in the gaming ecosystem. 

"The audience is at the heart of what we do. There is already an audience and distribution platform, but at the end of it, it depends on how the message is being put across. So, it's a no-brainer. Number one is the publisher. Number two is the casual players. Overall, it's about winning and how the players perform. Marketing is done by the distributors; we just focus on creating great content in the gaming ecosystem and making sure our players become heroes and are confident during the tournaments," Shah said. 

Game selection

Bhanushali examined the strategic considerations behind investing in specific games and regions, accentuating the importance of audience size, player strength, and game popularity in their decision-making process.

He explained, "BGMI has a huge audience in India and has a lot of popularity, hence investing in it was a no-brainer. When we decide to invest in a game, we pick the region that we feel is the strongest and the best set of players."

"Dota is big in Europe, so when we invest in a game, we invest in the players behind it who will perform well at tournaments back home in India. For Pokémon, we picked players from Singapore and Japan. For BGMI, India has the strongest players. So, we want to make sure that we put our best foot forward. We are one of the multiple teams in India, and we aim to win in South-East Asia. It's going to be the highest podium in South-East Asia. For us, the publisher's support matters, the influence matters, and lastly, the popularity of the game. We look at it in the sense of which forum will attract more eyeballs," added Bhanushali.

Mobile gaming

The duo explained that the rationale behind focusing on mobile gaming in India is due to its widespread accessibility and popularity.

Bhanushali stated, "90% of India’s market is for mobile gaming. So, it makes sense to be a part of it."

Shah added that there are not a lot of people who can afford a PC and high-end equipment hence there is a surge in mobile gaming in the country.

He said, "Mobile devices are affordable and convenient and that's where the popularity is and why mobile gaming is a prominent investment for us."

Dream brands

Wrapping it up, Shah and Bhanushali discussed their approach to collaborating with brands, highlighting their desire to inspire a young audience about e-gaming through aspirational partnerships and support for a diverse range of brands.

Shah shared, "If given the opportunity, brands that create an aspiration and evoke inspiration for e-gaming will help us. Most luxury car ads show children in their ad campaigns and instil the notion of aspiration at a young age. That's the kind of aspect we want with the brands we want to work with and tap into a young target audience to inspire them about e-gaming."

Bhanushali signed off by saying, "Our objective is not just to work with top-tier brands but to work with startups and independent brands as well and give them a platform."