Ex-Paytm executive Sonia Dhawan rejoins Paytm; will head Communication for First Games
Sonia Dhawan will be joining as the Vice-President of Corporate Communication at Paytm's gaming platform First Games.
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Ex Paytm executive Sonia Dhawan has rejoined Paytm, and will be taking on as the Vice-President of Corporate Communications at Paytm’s gaming platform, First Games (earlier Gamepind).
Sonia Dhawan confirmed the news to YourStory over a call.
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She will be leaving her role at women-only social community platform SHEROES, which she joined in June this year. In her role at SHEROES, she was helping other technology companies and startups (associated with SHEROES) with their public relations and corporate communications practice, and in the process provided her expertise across branding to scale these entities.
Previously, Sonia was heading Corporate Communications and Public Policy for Paytm and spent close to 10 years in the Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led payments company. Prior to that she was with Times Internet Ltd. in Noida.
In the last week of January, last year, Paytm had announced the launch of Gamepind (now First Games), which is a joint venture with Chinese gaming and entertainment company AGTech Holdings Limited.
The mobile platform offers social and casual games on Paytm’s app. Paytm holds a 55 percent stake in First Games.
Last August, Gamepind received a total investment of $16 million from One97 Communications and AGTech to expand operations. First Games claims to offer more than 300 engaging games, including the popular ones like fantasy cricket, fantasy kabaddi, fantasy soccer, rummy, battle center for games of skill, 8 ball pool, ludo, and live quiz.
Earlier this month, First Games said that it is in talks with investors to raise $25 million. It was looking to invest these funds in technology and for building e-sporting events.
It is also planning to add more games for its users and double its current team size of over 150 people.
Around May this year, First Games also said that it has garnered over 30 million registered users in just a year of its launch.
Along with this, the company also formally announced the launch of ‘Gamepind Fantasy Sports’ for cricket lovers and card game enthusiasts.
In October, last year, Noida police arrested three employees of fintech major Paytm, one of them being Sonia, in an alleged extortion case involving the company's Founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, which led to Sonia spending five months in jail before being let out on bail.
