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<ul><li><keyword id="1445940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smaaash" source="Orion">Smaaash</keyword> announced its “pre-mature” closure in September 2020 as the country was facing the worst of COVID-19 throughout the year.</li><li>The company — which was in over 45 centres across India in its first innings — is now settled with 22 centres across 14 cities.</li><li>It has stepped away from its traditional ‘for kids’ offering to reimagine itself as a business that caters to the needs of young adults and working professionals.</li></ul>After briefly shutting down its business nearly 18 months ago, popular Indian gaming and entertainment centre operator Smaaash has spent the last one year rebuilding itself. The Sachin Tendulkar-backed company — which now refers to its business model as Smaaash 2.0 — has stepped away from its traditional ‘for kids’ offering to reimagine itself as a business that caters to the needs of young adults and working professionals. The aim of the space is to give an entertainment center for adults, but with the same vibe as the local club. Dim lights and upbeat music, finger foods and alcohol, arcade games to bowling alleys is all one can expect from Smaaash 2.0. <div type="image" title="How Sachin Tendulkar-backed Smaaash is making a comeback with 45 stores by June 2022" msid="90796106" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Bowling Alley&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The company — which was in over 45 centres across India in its first innings — has now opened 22 centres across 14 cities for the second one. It claims to have an EBIDTA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) run rate of ₹4 crores at the store level, which is 20% higher than before. So what has changed since the last time? Smaaash — which has raised close to ₹700 crore from <keyword id="6354267" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sachin-tendulkar" source="Orion">Sachin Tendulkar</keyword> and Sixth Sense Ventures — announced its closure in September 2020 as the country was facing the worst of COVID-19 throughout the year. The company did not have the runway to continue and there wasn’t enough footfall in the physical store. The company’s founder Shripal Morakhia, in an email to its employees, said he was sorry that despite his best efforts he has failed in his efforts to save the company from its “premature death”. However, Smaaash restarted its operations once again in Raipur and Vijayawada and built on top of that. The company had lost several prime locations it was previously operating in, so it decided to build on its latest network in alternative locations with larger and more open spaces. Shirish Kotmire, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Smaaash, believes that this offers them the opportunity to work in bigger and more open locations, at less the cost. Secondly, the company has also spent the last one year in reading customer behaviour and effectively enhancing the value per customer. The company has expanded virtual reality (VR) offerings by introducing new games and upgrading traditional games to VR as well. Besides, it has also introduced physical games like shooting. This, coupled with dining and beverages options, increases the time spent by the customers in Smaaash stores and the average cost per customer goes up too. The company had dine-in option earlier as well, but it now emphasises reading into customer behaviour and needs. “We are ensuring that we give an entire experience, where they [customers] graduate from playing just games to consuming food and liquor, to consuming time there. When you give them a gaming environment, combined with a food and gaming experience, and the pocket friendly nature, the time of the entire experience increases … We are really good at upselling now. Because it’s a gaming concept no one comes to have food-food,” Kotmire noted. How has Smaaash been strengthening itself? Smaaash started its rebuilding efforts in metropolitan cities like Mumbai and Delhi, and then the letter grew in a conservative manner by focusing on cities that were less likely to face stricter COVID-19 norms. In the second phase it expanded to Raipur, Gwalior, Vijayawada, and Bhubaneswar. The company is now looking to expand with 23 more stores by mid-2022, where the deals are already signed and project-related work has begun. These stores would be located in existing markets like Noida and Gurugram as they would be able to absorb the supply of customers, and also venture into newer markets like Barnala, Amritsar, Pathankot, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Bengaluru. <div type="image" title="How Sachin Tendulkar-backed Smaaash is making a comeback with 45 stores by June 2022" msid="90795995" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Customers at Smaaash&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> While the company claims that they will be carrying out this expansion using the revenue they have generated so far, they are also starting their hunt for funds in the next three months. Kotmire explained that they are at a point when they are just getting re-noticed by the investors, but they need to reach a critical size with a three or four-digit revenue figure. “What is funding for? The funding is for scale. We are just doubling stores now, we are going back to our earlier level of 40-45 stores. They are saying what’s new [to fund],” Kotmire said, explaining that convincing an investor to fund an offline business takes a little more time in the current scenario. He emphaises that the confidence of its existing investors is also coming back due to its performance in the last couple of months. “In the same sequence that it closed down, in the same sequence it’s taking off in a big way,” Shirish Kotmire, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Smaaash, said. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/peyush-bansals-lenskart-may-now-be-valued-at-over-4-billion/articleshow/90794848.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Peyush Bansal’s Lenskart may now be valued at over $4 billion</a> <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/facebook-backed-meesho-lays-off-150-employees-in-india/articleshow/90791826.cms">Facebook-backed Meesho lays off 150 employees in restructuring of grocery business</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tcs-wipro-maruti-suzuki-jsw-steel-among-hot-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-april-12/slidelist/90790324.cms">TCS, Wipro, Maruti Suzuki, JSW Steel among hot stocks to watch out for on April 12</a>

How Sachin Tendulkar-backed Smaaash is making a comeback with 45 stores by June 2022

<ul><li>Ashok A Cherian has joined <keyword id="7323688" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tiktok-India">TikTok India</keyword> as its marketing head.</li><li>Before this, Cherian led the Marketing &amp; Revenue efforts at <keyword id="1322450" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Applause-Entertainment">Applause Entertainment</keyword>, a part of Aditya Birla Group.</li><li>He will be responsible for spearheading the overall brand strategy and marketing initiatives for the platform.</li></ul>Ashok A Cherian who was the marketing and revenue head at Applause Entertainment will soon be joining TikTok India as its marketing head. He will be responsible for spearheading the overall brand strategy and marketing initiatives for the platform. During his career, spanning two decades, he has held several leadership roles including as the Chief Marketing Officer at SMAASH Entertainment contributing to the rapid growth of the brand. Cherian's experience includes working in the print, television, consulting, and retail industries, with brands such as MTV Networks, UTV Broadcasting, Open Kimono, Naked Communications, and Just Another Magazine. At Smaaash, he was leading marketing while also looking after building the brand and bolstering its growth. Welcoming Cherian to the team, Nikhil Gandhi, India Head, TikTok said, "We are excited to have Ashok onboard to lead TikTok’s brand building journey and marketing efforts in India. Ashok's appointment further strengthens our local leadership team, which is committed to ensuring structured growth and providing an exciting and safe in-app experience to our users. With his extensive experience spanning over 20 years, I believe he will add immense value in building our brand salience across stakeholders in the country.” Commenting on his new role, Ashok A Cherian said, “I am delighted to join TikTok and excited at the opportunity to be a part of this team. TikTok has democratised content creation and redefined the way people create and share short-video content. I look forward to leveraging my past experience in the content and entertainment industry to further build the brand love and bring joy to our users in India."

Applause Entertainment’s Ashok Cherian to join TikTok India as Marketing Head

<ul><li><keyword id="6357332" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaming">Gaming</keyword> and entertainment operator <keyword id="1445940" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smaaash">Smaaash</keyword> is shutting down as <keyword id="45856" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Malls">malls</keyword> continue to see lower footfalls due to the coronavirus pandemic.</li><li>Smaaash had been scouting for investors for a while, and had even received ‘word’ for investments, but that didn’t culminate into funding. </li><li>The gaming centre is one of the first companies with a large presence to shut shop because of the pandemic.</li></ul>Gaming and entertainment operator Smaaash is shutting down as malls continue to see lower footfalls due to the coronavirus pandemic. The popular gaming centre’s founder wrote an email to employees announcing the shutdown, reported <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/dwindling-footfalls-in-malls-leads-to-the-closure-of-gaming-centre-operator-smaaash/articleshow/78231811.cms?from=mdr">ET</a>. “I am sorry that despite my best efforts I have failed in my efforts to save the company from its premature death,” wrote the founder <keyword id="1817127" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shripal-Morakhia">Shripal Morakhia</keyword>. According to reports, Morakhia had been looking for investors for the company for a long time and had even received ‘word’ for investments, which didn’t culminate into funding. Dreams Smaaash’ed Smaaash is one of the first companies with a large presence to shut their doors because of the pandemic. Smaaash had over 650,000 sq ft space in operations with over 41 gaming zones. Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar was the brand ambassador of the company. This is a major turn in the fortunes of a company, which in 2019 had seen its revenue cross ₹300 crore. The eight-year-old company had so far raised $82.6 million in funding. In 2018, the company was also hoping to head for an IPO. LinkedIn posts of employees suggest that the company had also stopped paying employees for months and was unable to pay further. Malls were shut for over three months due to the pandemic, putting immense pressure on retailers and mall operators. Even with the malls reopening from June, footfalls have still been in lower numbers as people are scared to venture out of their homes. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/dailyhunt-to-launch-family-of-bharat-apps-claiming-it-can-push-a-new-mobile-app-every-three-days/articleshow/78250283.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Dailyhunt is curating an entire family of 'Bharat' apps — claims it can push a new mobile app every three days</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/insurancedekho-raises-its-maiden-20-million-from-parent-co-plans-to-expand-to-its-reach-in-the-real-bharat/articleshow/78250655.cms">INTERVIEW: InsuranceDekho raises its maiden $20 million from parent co – plans to expand to its reach in the ‘real Bharat’</a>

Smaaash shuts down – founder calls it a ‘premature death’ for the company

Indian cricket legend, Sachin Tendulkar, may have stepped out of the cricket world, but his life after cricket as an entrepreneur and investor is just as interesting. Even five years after his retirement from professional cricket, he is one of the highest paid brand ambassadors in India. He has had stints with a variety of businesses -- from restaurants to sports franchises. But in addition to sponsorships, here’s a look at some of his recent ventures: <div type="Slideshow" msid="69025066" hostid="261" title="Sachin Tendulkar’s innings as an entrepreneur" firstImageMsid="69025190" slideCount="6"></div>

IN PICS: Sachin Tendulkar’s innings as an entrepreneur

<keyword id="1445944" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smaaash-Entertainment">Smaaash Entertainment</keyword>, a sports-based virtual entertainment company that cricket legend 
Sachin Tendulkar co-owns, is close to raising Rs 200 crore from private equity investors, which would be used for its further expansion. 
 "Right now we are in the midst of raising money for our international expansions and we should announce the closure in the next one month," <keyword id="1445940" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smaaash">Smaaash</keyword> founder <keyword id="1817127" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shripal-Morakhia">Shripal Morakhia</keyword> told ET. He declined to disclose the names of the investors, but said that they are global PE funds. 
 
"These days, every investor is running after internet-based companies, so we really had to struggle and we are fortunate that people have decided to back us," he said. 
 
India has five gaming arcades operated by Smaaash, offering a variety of gaming options, which includes taking a strike against famous international cricketers, viz. former Australian spinner Shane Warne and former Pakistani fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar. 
 
The concept was launched by Smaaash in 2013, and it allows algorithm-based techniques to help ball-throwing machine pitch balls like the famous bowlers. 
 
When it comes to soccer, a player can collect, dribble and block goals based on simulations that were created with the help of Portuguese football icon Christiano Ronaldo. 
 
As of now, Smaaash has signed up 47 cricketers from various countries, and records their bowling and batting actions for about two weeks. "We have created virtual models of (London's) Lords Stadium and put the cricketers against that," he said. "It takes us 12 days to actually make people play. We study the player's bowling strengths and through an algorithm we create a library." 
 
Other than Sachin Tendulkar, the venture has seen Mauritius-based FW Sports Investment Fund investing in it. Smaaash now wants to open gaming centres in several overseas spots, including Mall of America in Minneapolis, which is one of the largest malls in the United States. Besides, shopping and entertainment destinations in Dubai and Jeddah are also in the pipeline. 
 
Domestically, Smaaash is coming up with centres in Ludhiana and Chandigarh, while adding two to the list in Delhi. 
 
<a href="http://i0.wp.com/corecommunique.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Sachin-Tendulkar-Pic-1-2.jpg">Image source</a>

Sachin Tendulkar's Smaaash entertainment to raise Rs 200 crore, to expand in US, Dubai

<keyword id="1445944" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Smaaash-Entertainment">Smaaash Entertainment</keyword>, a sport based entertainment company will be launching its first international property in the US on December 14th. The company has launched six facilities in India. 
 After launching six facilities in India, Smaaash Entertainment, the sports-based entertainment company co-owned by <keyword id="1817127" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shripal-Morakhia">Shripal Morakhia</keyword> and <keyword id="6354267" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sachin-Tendulkar">Sachin Tendulkar</keyword>, is now launching its first international property in the US on December 14. 
 
The company co-owned by Shripal Morakhia and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Sachin+Tendulkar&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Sachin Tendulkar</a> has decided to launch at an 80,000 square feet space at Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. 
 
"This is the largest mall in America (7 million square feet) and owners are focused on entertainment. They have a 3-acre indoor theme park. This is among the very few malls in the world where people come to be entertained and incidentally also do shopping," Morakhia, chief imagination officer at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Smaaash+Entertainment&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Smaaash Entertainment</a>, told ET. 
 
 
He added that with approximately 48 million visitors per year, of which 45% are from a radius of 150 miles, this mall is geared towards entertainment and a large floating population, which makes it ideal. 
 
The company is hoping a turnover of $12 million in first financial year and is also looking forward to making the most of the peak holiday season of December. 
 
"Our investment, including pre-operative expenses and marketing, will be about $12 million. We are confident that we will make a turnover of $12 million in first financial year," Morakhia told ET. 
 
Smaaash will be featuring over 30 gaming experiences, including a multi-level go karting track, virtual-reality based roller coaster and skywalk, sports simulators -basketball, ice hockey, football and a soccer game called 'Super Keeper'. 
 
"We believe in bonding family and friends over entertainment. While in the US we will have different products, the goal remains the same," Morakhia told ET. 
 Meanwhile, on international expansion part, Morakhia said he has signed with a mega mall in <keyword id="9753" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Jersey">New Jersey</keyword>, which will come up in 2017. 
 "We are also looking at the West Coast - <keyword id="12161" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="San-Francisco">San Francisco</keyword> and Bay Area. In <keyword id="6354539" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dubai">Dubai</keyword> mall, we are opening a 40,000 sq ft between April and June, while we will also be launching in <keyword id="50996" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saudi-Arabia">Saudi Arabia</keyword> in April," he told ET. 
(image: IndiaTimes)

Sachin Tendulkar’s Smaaash to launch in US

Our hyper-connected world has in many ways made our lives better. From meeting people to buying clothes to booking a cab, now everything is just a click away. While the Internet provides convenience, it is no easy task to manage one’s digital life - there’s a subscription service for every category including news, entertainment, lifestyle and more that promises to offer a premium experience while saving money. Meet <keyword id="7391793" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Times-Prime">Times Prime</keyword>, India’s first subscription service that offers you access to a premium experience across 20+ brands. Users can integrate their digital identity with a single account with exclusive access to 4 premium memberships along with curated offers and much more at an introductory price of Rs. 999. Speaking with Business Insider, Vivek Jain, the Business Head of Times Prime said, “At Times Prime, our business strategy has been to handpick premium benefits &amp; experiences that our customers love. We noticed that online food delivery was increasingly becoming an integral part of the lives of urban Indians, and we have partnered with the country’s largest online food delivery platform to add its premium offering to our bundle.” In addition to 1+1 on Food, Drinks and Buffets across 1000+ top restaurants across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Chennai, a Times Prime membership offers unlimited song downloads, access to HD ad-free music for both downloading and streaming songs on the country’s largest music streaming app. It also offers exclusive access to the ad-free version of the world’s most circulated newspaper and curated offers across dining, entertainment, travel &amp; hospitality, grocery delivery, healthcare, events, online shopping and more. It also offers discounts &amp; privileges at some of the best events &amp; experiences in the country including bookings made on Insider.in and at Adlabs Imagica, Smaaash, Canvas Laugh Club and more.

Meet Times Prime, the Indian subscription service that offers privileges across 20+ Brands

What's tiny, flies at 120kph and can perform acrobatics in the air? A racing <keyword id="6354474" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="drone">drone</keyword>, of course. Contrary to what many think, drones are not completely illegal in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>. In fact, there's a budding <keyword id="2913897" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="drone-racing">drone racing</keyword> community in the country, flying drones at breakneck speeds and slowly making careers out of the sport. As with many things in technology today, India isn't that far behind the world either. Sure, there's work to be done, governments to convince and more people to onboard. Yet, Karan Kamdar, the man behind 1 Martian Way, the company that created the <keyword id="6462453" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-drone-racing">Indian Drone Racing</keyword> League (<keyword id="4634776" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="idrl">IDRL</keyword>), says his community has been growing fast. The IDRL began just under two years ago. Kamdar's community was slow at first but has reached over 800 members now. The organisation has tie-ups with colleges, including IITs, BITS Pilani and more. It gets 15-25 participants in each race, most of which are held between October and April. What is drone racing? Like any race, drone races are about speed, timing and competing against one another. However, no drone race is complete without the first person view. That's why most drone racing events are prefixed by an "FPV". Unlike other races, a drone pilot doesn't see the world in front of him/her. They see what the drone sees, through tiny cameras fitted atop the drone. The pilot wears a head-mounted display, looking at the live stream from the drone's camera. That's all they have to steer the drone. There are also online events for drone racers. In these, pilots hook their controllers to computers and a software simulates a real-world drone race. The pilot chooses the drone they want and still get the first person view. They clear simulated obstacles and race against each other, while the software calculates the time they take to finish a course, determining the winner. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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<keyword id="6462454" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ritvik-nesargi">Ritvik Nesargi</keyword> with his head-mounted display, controller and drone 
 
 
 
 
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The FPV element is what drives many pilots. Siddharth Nayak, a.k.a FlyingSid pegs this feeling as the reason for why people like racing drones. The video below is one Nayak made while flying his drones. Nayak has been a professional drone racer for about two years now, although he still does it as a hobby and not his primary source of income. The tracks for these races include obstacles that pilots have to manoeuvre. Currently, Indian drone races use football nets to make "gates" that pilots have to fly their drones through. As Nayak explains, avoiding and manoeuvring around the obstacles is necessary, not just to win races but to protect one's drone. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
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 Racing drones fly at 120kph (and even faster), so a sudden crash can be devastating on the drone itself. And the pilot's pocket. Equipment To drone pilots, as with any sportsperson, the equipment is important. While most drone-related coverage in India centres around companies like DJI and their intelligent drones, the ones used for racing are custom made. Pro drone pilots like Nayak and Ritvik Nesargi build their own drones, with custom fitted motors, controllers and more. Nayak and Nesargi are two of India's top drone racing pilots. The cost of making a drone depends on the parts used. Nayak, who has been doing this for about two years, and is one of India's premiere pilots, says he and his brethren have lakhs of rupees on equipment already. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 You need some technical know-how to become a drone pilot. IDRL's Kamdar says pro pilots are differentiated from amateurs not just by skill, but by how well they understand the engineering. Their understanding of motors, controllers and what would best suit their drones can differentiate the best from the rest. An entry-level drone can be built for as little as Rs. 10,000, but if you want to race against serious pros, it's going to be expensive. When you're learning, you'll likely wreck your drone often, making and remaking it with each new step. There are also no drone racing tracks available in the country, so you'll have to make one for yourself. Nayak says he's bought some football nets for himself and he goes to parks and other open areas to practice. Easier said than done That said, practising has its own challenges. When organisations like IDRL are involved, dealing with regulations becomes a tad easier. However, both Nesargi and Nayak have to inform the police every time they decide to fly their drones in public. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) allows nano-drones (drones that weigh under 250 grams) to be flown without registration. However, Nesargi and Nayak still have to inform their local police stations whenever they practise in public. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
	
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 Nayak, Nesargi and Kamdar agree that for drone racing to be an accepted sport, the regulations need to be simpler. In fact, Kamdar says the government confuses between racing drones and regular drones. Unlike other drones, racing drones record only while racing, fly for only three minutes at a time and can't rise more than a few feet in the air. They're all about racing and manoeuvrability. Drones are also allowed to fly within educational institutions, as long as they're for educational purposes. Nayak says drone pilots have a responsibility to not fly over crowded areas and they should respect that too. Private support The IDRL, for the longest time, has been the only real place for drone racers to get competition. To keep afloat, IDRL now charges membership fees and sells merchandise (like jerseys) right now. It also charges colleges small sums for arranging drone racing competitions at various campuses. IDRL has established tie-ups with companies in Korea, perhaps the country where drone racing is most widely accepted. It also has tie-ups in the US and more. Kamdar says he will increase international efforts when the IDRL's member-base reaches around 2000. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 That said, the IDRL was instrumental in sending Nesargi to the Eurogamer Expo in the UK recently. In turn, Nesargi won races there, ending up in the finals of the event. And all that is now being supplemented by Smaaash, a gaming and entertainment company in India. You may have seen their outlets, spread over Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Gurgaon and other cities. Smaaash's establishments have so far been known for embracing virtual reality and other future-facing technologies for entertainment. The company just started its own Drone Racing league in Mumbai over the weekend. However, the weekend event is just the beginning. Shripal Morakhia, the founder of Smaaash says he plans to make it an international level league. There's a larger event planned for November, where Morakhia will be inviting international drone racers to compete against Indian pros. The first event saw amateurs race against each other, while pros battled it out on their own terms too. The amateur and pro races were separate, but Smaaash's efforts could bring more interested parties into the community. On the sidelines of Smaaash's event, the company creates drone-based games. The Drone Castle Race is a game that emulates Mario, with jumping drones clearing obstacles and racing against each other. On the other hand, Drone Soccer is a game of football played with drones instead of humans. Smaaash plans to incorporate these into its establishments around the country eventually. Making a career But much like any sport, private support can help open doors. When asked about drone racing as a career, Nayak said you don't do it for the money, you do it for passion. While Nayak has earned from his escapades, he doesn't see it as a viable career just yet. Neither does Nesargi, who also races drones as a hobby. Nesargi is currently a student at the Maharashtra Institute of Engineering in Pune. He says most of a drone racers income comes from prize money, which is not aplenty right now. 
	
	
	
	
	
	
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 Smaaash is offering a prize pool of Rs. 3,20,000 to the winners. There will be three winners in the pro races, with Rs. 1,00,000, Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 25,000 to the first, second and third positions, respectively. (Update: Nesargi and Nayak took the first and second spots, respectively.) IDRL also offers prize money at its events. However, the cost of equipment, travel, stay etc. usually cover the income from most events, including Smaaash's. Nesargi says you can make about Rs. 30,000 if you're regularly winning events. Lower rung competitors can still get travel and stay expenses, but none of that is enough to make a legitimate profession out of drone racing just yet. This is what private players can solve. In 2016, the World Drone Prix in Dubai had a million dollar prize pool. The winner, 15-year-old Luke Bannister from the UK, won $250,000 for his efforts, the biggest ever prize in drone racing at the time. If 1 Martian Way, Smaaash and future entrants are able to build enough interest, similar returns could be arranged. 
 
 
 
 
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 Opportunity to grow Internationally, drone racing is quickly becoming a legitimate profession. While it's not really a large community yet, the sport has a certain thrill to it, just like professional wrestling. Smaaash's races are going to be held at night, for which drones are fitted with LEDs. While it doesn't change the racing aspect for the pilots, it's more flashy and makes for a better watch. 
 
 
 
 
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The fact that there are so many drones and AI companies already means sponsorships should never be a problem. And to top it all, Indian drone pilots certainly do not lack the technical know-how required to do well. The drone racing community in India has been growing steadily, but it has picked up in the last year. Smaaash's event is one of the first big private investments in the sport and racers do hope there are more to come. It's as Nayak says, there's a long way to go, but there's definitely some potential here.

You Searched For "Smaaash Entertainment" and got 8 results

How Sachin Tendulkar-backed Smaaash is making a comeback with 45 stores by June 2022

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Sachin Tendulkar’s Smaaash to launch in US

BI India Bureau

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Inside India's budding drone racing community

Prasid Banerjee

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