Banned offshore real-money gaming and betting platforms remain easily accessible in India, indicating the government's ban has had limited effect on user access. Technology hiring in India shows early signs of recovery, with job openings rising for the second consecutive month, though overall demand is still below last year's levels.
Rural commerce startup Rozana has raised $30 million to upgrade its technology and expand its product offerings. Separately, Infosys has tightened its return-to-office policy, requiring more mid-level employees to work from the office for a minimum number of days.
The main topics covered are the ineffectiveness of the RMG ban, trends in tech hiring, a startup funding round, and changes to corporate work-from-office policies.
Business News›Tech›Newsletters›Morning Dispatch›Banned RMG games thrive in India; green shoots in tech hiring
Banned RMG games thrive in India; green shoots in tech hiring
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Happy Friday! Accessing illegal offshore betting platforms continues to be easy for Indian users. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.
Also in the letter:
■ Rozana raises funds
■ Infosys tightens work from office
■ Real-time bidding tech patented
Six months after India halted (outlawed) real-money gaming and online betting, illegal offshore platforms remain easily accessible, suggesting the ban has had a limited impact on user behaviour.
For Indian users, accessing these sites is almost frictionless, industry executives said.
Tell me more: Platforms such as Parimatch, 1XBet, and Stake, as well as regional operators such as Rajabets, Dafabet, 4rabet, and Odds96, continue to attract traffic.
Executives say these companies rely heavily on digital advertising and micro-influencers to maintain visibility despite regulatory scrutiny.
Also Read: From RMG ban to esports glory: India’s gaming rollercoaster in 2025
How does it work?
A broader view:
Technology job openings in India rose 9% month-on-month in March to 119,000, the highest level over three quarters, according to data from staffing firm Xpheno.
By the numbers: This increase follows a 6% rise in February, suggesting early signs of recovery in hiring activity. However, active demand remains 19% lower year-on-year, reflecting the slowdown that began in the second half of 2022.
Entry-level control: The opening for professionals with up to 2 years of experience rose slightly to 15,000 from 14,000 last month but remained 10% lower year-on-year, indicating continued caution in entry-level hiring.
(L-R) Adwait Vikram Singh, Ankur Dahiya and Mukesh Christopher, cofounders, Rozana
Rural commerce startup Rozana has raised $30 million (Rs 275 crore) in a funding round led by existing investors Bertelsmann India Investments and Fireside Ventures.
Deal details:
Use of funds: Rozana sells a wide range of products, including staples, snacks, and apparel, as well as long-tail categories such as toys, stationery, and home care goods.
The new capital will be used to upgrade its technology infrastructure, expand product categories, and build private-label offerings.
Financials: The company reported revenue of Rs 272 crore in FY25 and is targeting around Rs 600 crore in FY26 as it expands its rural distribution network.
Infosys has strengthened its return-to-office (RTO) policy, requiring employees at job level 6 (JL 6A) and above to work in the office for four days a week in certain business units.
The rule expands an earlier mandate that applied only to JL 7 and above, including roles such as delivery managers and program directors.
Tell me more: Internal HR emails seen by ET ask JL 6+ employees to meet a minimum of 10 office days each month, with managers tracking attendance data to ensure compliance.
The company has also tightened rules on claiming additional work-from-home days, adding new conditions in January.
Yes, and: Other IT majors have also scaled back remote work.
Bengaluru startup gets patent for real-time bidding tech: Bengaluru-based eReleGo Technologies said it has received a patent for its digital procurement platform, Biddofy, from Indian authorities. The platform enables real-time bidding between private sector buyers and GST-registered sellers, the company added.
Quantum hub to come up in Bengaluru: A quantum hub is being established in Bengaluru to speed up the development of local quantum hardware and to train engineers. The project is led by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), in collaboration with C-DAC and international technology partners.
■ What AI models for war actually look like (Wired)
■ The reality of chatbot-induced delusions (FT)
■ Meta’s Oversight Board races to govern the AI surge (Rest of World)
Also in the letter:
■ Rozana raises funds
■ Infosys tightens work from office
■ Real-time bidding tech patented
ETtech In-depth: Banned in India, but it’s business as usual for offshore real money gaming firms
Six months after India halted (outlawed) real-money gaming and online betting, illegal offshore platforms remain easily accessible, suggesting the ban has had a limited impact on user behaviour.
For Indian users, accessing these sites is almost frictionless, industry executives said.
Tell me more: Platforms such as Parimatch, 1XBet, and Stake, as well as regional operators such as Rajabets, Dafabet, 4rabet, and Odds96, continue to attract traffic.
Executives say these companies rely heavily on digital advertising and micro-influencers to maintain visibility despite regulatory scrutiny.
Also Read: From RMG ban to esports glory: India’s gaming rollercoaster in 2025
How does it work?
- An ET investigation found these websites easily accessible without virtual private networks (VPNs) or technical workarounds.
- Users can register within minutes using a mobile number, OTP verification, and a wallet top-up.
- Many platforms provide interfaces in Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, and Bengali, signalling a clear focus on tier II and tier III audiences.
A broader view:
- Digital ads for offshore betting platforms across Instagram, YouTube, and X remain widespread.
- Deposits can be made via Unified Payments Interface (UPI), net banking, e-wallets, prepaid cards, and cryptocurrencies.
- While promotional offers attract new users, several players report difficulties withdrawing winnings or securing refunds.
Tech vacancies up 9% in March signalling a short-term uptick
Technology job openings in India rose 9% month-on-month in March to 119,000, the highest level over three quarters, according to data from staffing firm Xpheno.
By the numbers: This increase follows a 6% rise in February, suggesting early signs of recovery in hiring activity. However, active demand remains 19% lower year-on-year, reflecting the slowdown that began in the second half of 2022.
- Non-tech sectors account for 53% of demand for tech and engineering roles.
- Full-time openings stand at 88,000, making up 74% of total demand, up 5% month-on-month.
- Contract roles jumped 20% compared with February.
- Mid- to senior-level positions account for 53% of active openings.
Entry-level control: The opening for professionals with up to 2 years of experience rose slightly to 15,000 from 14,000 last month but remained 10% lower year-on-year, indicating continued caution in entry-level hiring.
Rural commerce startup Rozana bags $30 million; valuation nears $200 million
(L-R) Adwait Vikram Singh, Ankur Dahiya and Mukesh Christopher, cofounders, Rozana
Rural commerce startup Rozana has raised $30 million (Rs 275 crore) in a funding round led by existing investors Bertelsmann India Investments and Fireside Ventures.
Deal details:
- The round values the company at nearly $200 million, more than doubling its previous valuation, cofounder and CEO Ankur Dahiya told us.
- Rozana had last raised $22.5 million in 2024 at a valuation of $80-85 million.
- The company operates an omnichannel retail network across 21,000 villages in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
Use of funds: Rozana sells a wide range of products, including staples, snacks, and apparel, as well as long-tail categories such as toys, stationery, and home care goods.
The new capital will be used to upgrade its technology infrastructure, expand product categories, and build private-label offerings.
Financials: The company reported revenue of Rs 272 crore in FY25 and is targeting around Rs 600 crore in FY26 as it expands its rural distribution network.
Infosys asks senior hands at some units to work from office four days a week
Infosys has strengthened its return-to-office (RTO) policy, requiring employees at job level 6 (JL 6A) and above to work in the office for four days a week in certain business units.
The rule expands an earlier mandate that applied only to JL 7 and above, including roles such as delivery managers and program directors.
Tell me more: Internal HR emails seen by ET ask JL 6+ employees to meet a minimum of 10 office days each month, with managers tracking attendance data to ensure compliance.
The company has also tightened rules on claiming additional work-from-home days, adding new conditions in January.
Yes, and: Other IT majors have also scaled back remote work.
- Wipro requires employees to attend the office three days a week.
- TCS mandates a five-day office week, linking compliance to variable pay.
Other Top Stories By Our Reporters
Bengaluru startup gets patent for real-time bidding tech: Bengaluru-based eReleGo Technologies said it has received a patent for its digital procurement platform, Biddofy, from Indian authorities. The platform enables real-time bidding between private sector buyers and GST-registered sellers, the company added.
Quantum hub to come up in Bengaluru: A quantum hub is being established in Bengaluru to speed up the development of local quantum hardware and to train engineers. The project is led by the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), in collaboration with C-DAC and international technology partners.
Global Picks We Are Reading
■ What AI models for war actually look like (Wired)
■ The reality of chatbot-induced delusions (FT)
■ Meta’s Oversight Board races to govern the AI surge (Rest of World)
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