Rooter Revolutionizes Indian Gaming with a Massive Pivot to Esports Streaming

In the high-stakes world of startups, the ability to pivot is often the difference between a unicorn and a footnote. For Piyush Kumar, the founder of Rooter, that pivot came in late 2019 when he realized that while India loved cricket, the future of interactive entertainment lay in gaming and esports. By shifting from a sports fan engagement app to a dedicated game streaming platform, Rooter has captured the attention of over 20 million users and established itself as the #1 app in its category on the Google Play Store.

Piyush Kumar is not a typical first-time founder. He spent 14 years in the corporate trenches, building brands for global giants like the Swatch Group (the world's largest luxury watch company) and Dish TV. That foundation in marketing and brand-building became the catalyst for his entrepreneurial journey: the desire to use a decade of experience to build a product that connects millions of people through their shared passions.

The Problem: The Sporadic Nature of Sports

Rooter began in 2016 with a vision to connect sports fans. For nearly four years, the team built features like live audio commentary, quizzes, and fantasy discussion boards. But the sports calendar in India is notoriously inconsistent.

"Sports is all about cricket," Piyush explains. "When the Indian team is playing, everything is good. but when they're not playing, things become stable. We were looking for an opportunity which could build a large business."

The sporadic nature of the sports calendar meant that user engagement fluctuated wildly. The gaming revolution, led by titles like PUBG (now BGMI), offered a 24/7, year-round alternative where 400 million Indians were already playing and looking for content.

The Solution: A Content Powerhouse for Gamers

Rooter transformed into a platform where gamers come to watch others play and stream their own gameplay. It’s not just an app; it’s a community-driven content platform. Today, Rooter hosts esports tournaments, weekend gaming programs, and proprietary esports IPs.

The Growth Story: 20 Million and Beyond

Since the gaming launch in 2020, Rooter has added nearly 20 million users. Piyush attributes this rapid scale to two primary growth hacks:

• Virality through Invites: A sophisticated referral system that incentivized the first 15 million downloads.
• The Streamer Community: Onboarding professional streamers who brought their massive existing fanbases to the platform.

The goal is now to cross 100 million users by 2025, evolving into a gaming publisher and a massive gaming marketplace for everything from accessories to in-game currency.

Finding the Right Team

Building a tech company of this scale requires a resilient team. Piyush’s journey with co-founders has been a "mixed journey," but he credits Dipesh Agarwal for helping take the product through its most critical stages of growth over the last five and a half years.

"This is something you can't build alone," Piyush asserts. "Now we are a 50-member team with a strong leadership team looking after content, community, and technology. It is the team that takes forward the entire dream."

Lessons in Entrepreneurship

Piyush’s transition from a luxury marketing executive to a tech founder provides several key takeaways for the next generation of builders:

1. Patience is Inner Strength

It takes years for a product to find its footing. "You need to have a lot of inner strength to go through the time till your product starts to scale," Piyush says. Rooter existed for four years before finding its true product-market fit in gaming.

2. There Are No Shortcuts

Hard work is the only way to build a sustainable business. "You need to work very, very hard. There is no shortcut to that," he emphasizes. The marathon mindset requires consistent effort over a decade, not just a couple of years.

3. Tech-Oriented Approach

In the modern world, every company is a tech company. Whether it's for the product itself or the distribution, a deep understanding of technology is essential for scale and virality.

4. Balance is Mandatory

To survive the marathon, you must stay physically and mentally fit. "I play a sport every day—badminton, squash, or tennis. It helps me cut off from work and keep physically fit," Piyush shares. Spending time with family and traveling are also vital stress-busters.

Rooter is at the forefront of India’s gaming revolution. By following the data and having the courage to pivot, Piyush Kumar has built more than just an app—he has built the home for India’s 400 million gamers.

About the Guest

Piyush Kumar is the Founder and CEO of Rooter. A marketing veteran with over 14 years of experience, he previously served as the Head of Marketing for the Swatch Group in India and held key roles at Dish TV and FCB Ulka. A graduate of Delhi University, Piyush has transformed Rooter from a sports fan engagement platform into India’s leading gaming and esports streaming destination, raising over $46 million from top-tier investors.

Rooter is India's leading gaming and esports streaming platform, connecting millions of gamers with high-quality content, live streams, and community engagement. Backed by investors like Lightbox and Paytm, Rooter is building the future of gaming entertainment in Bharat.