Computer and hardware brand Acer has teamed up with Indian esports platform Lets Game Now (LGN) to leverage LGN’s RUDRA programme.
According to a release, Acer aims to strengthen its presence in India’s collegiate gaming ecosystem by collaborating on events, IP collaborations and contests.
Named after the Sanskrit word for ‘roarer’, the RUDRA programme strives to bridge the gap between college students and the gaming industry. The initiative provides hands-on experience and insights into gaming careers, such as game design and esports management. RUDRA has hosted collegiate esports leagues in VALORANT and Battlegrounds Mobile India as well as offline tournaments in FIFA and Tekken.
Since its creation in August this year, the programme has reached over 1m students across more than 36 cities. By early next year, RUDRA is set to expand to 650 colleges. Moreover, details on new partnerships and nationwide gaming leagues will be revealed soon.
The RUDRA programme was launched by LGN, an esports platform based in Bengaluru, India. Founded in 2014, the site offers game development, tournament hosting and community engagement. Reaching esports fans across 18 countries, LGN has signed partnerships with HP and Sony.
As a multinational computer hardware and electronics brand, Acer has been involved in esports for several years. This year alone, the company partnered with tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group, esports organisation BIG and national esports body Esports Wales.
Acer’s tournament IP, Predator League, has had Counter-Strike and Rocket League iterations in EMEA. The league’s Asia Pacific edition is currently in its sixth edition.
Acer is not the only entity investing in India’s growing esports and gaming market. Non-profit organisation SOGF and the International eSports Federation (IeSF) plan to bring international esports tournaments to the country. Furthermore, global sim racing platform SimRacing.GP recently launched its first AWS servers in Mumbai.
Sooraj Balakrishnan, Associate Director of Marketing at Acer, commented on the partnership with LGN: “The Rudra ambassadors have been invaluable in amplifying Acer’s presence within the collegiate ecosystem. […]
“As we look to the future, the Rudras are key partners in our growth journey, and we are excited to deepen this collaboration through upcoming initiatives.”