With OpraahFx, I wanted to build a community of influencers and brands who work together by creating compelling stories for audiences to consume: Pranav Panpalia, Founder, OpraahFx and OP Gaming

Q. Over the years, OpraahFX was able to build up an incredible network of influencers and content creators from different niches that look to be for marketing services. What are some of the major organizational and managerial challenges you face when having to keep so many of your ducks in a row?

Pranav: I am a firm believer in hospitality and gentle communication with my clients and creators. Being in an industry wherein we create engaging content for viewers, it gets crucial to enable a positive experience for the brands and influencers alike during the process.

One lapse can have a disastrous impact on both — the brands and the influencers. For this, it is imperative to regularly maintain the quality of work we ideate and execute at all times. Hence, we constantly try and improve our internal processes to be able to achieve that.

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Q. You have recently launched OP Gaming, a gaming company that seeks to help both brands and gamers fulfill their “end to end” requirements. What were some of the thoughts that went behind the company? What kind of engagement are you looking for in terms of community participation?

Pranav: I have always been fascinated with gaming and have followed many gamers from the west for many years. For the last few years, I have observed the Indian gaming community closely and witnessed a massive gap between the two.

That is when I thought I need to foray into gaming and create an ecosystem for gamers, games, and brands of all kinds to collaborate and create more engaging and appealing gaming content. I aim to create a world wherein we all play, influence, and earn together — one big gaming family.

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Q. You are pretty vocal about the diversity that the esports industry brings with it when it comes to the inclusion of talent from various parts and niches of society. What are your personal opinions on the balance that competitive video games bring for women and those who are differently-abled?

Pranav: I always believed that gaming is for everyone. Be it a kid or grown-up, boy or girl, differently-abled or not, it is a world for everyone. One doesn’t need any special skills or training to make an entry into gaming. We learn and upskill by playing and getting defeated each day

All one needs is some passion, and I believe everyone who wants to be a part of this community has ample amounts of it. However, I would love to see more women and differently-abled gamers join this community, only to strike the equilibrium and propagate that it is a ‘world with a space for everyone.’

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Q. What do you feel about the video games content creation market in India? Do you see it as a full-time career option, and if so, where do you see the content creation industry heading in the next five years?

Pranav: Gaming, once considered a pastime, is emerging as a whopping industry of $2.8 billion in India. Growing at 40% CAGR, the Indian gaming sector is seeing great acceptance as a professional industry. With the easy availability of affordable smartphones and pocket-friendly data plans, gaming has penetrated to the nooks-and-corner of the country and world.

The lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic further strengthened this leisure activity. These chains of events led to the exponential rise of ‘gaming influencers or gaming content creators’ across the world. And the world is definitely in need of gamers who create lively, interactive, relatable, entertaining, and helpful gaming videos.

Content creator as a career is a phenomenal opportunity for gaming enthusiasts to build their community and earn while doing what they love the most. Despite having no fixed salaries, this career option is an excellent opportunity to make a living through brand integrations, sponsorships, ad sense, products/merchandise, etc.