An ISO Certified Rummy Blend of Culture & Technology: Interview with Amit Kushwaha - Head Brand Strategy – Gameskraft

An ISO Certified Rummy Blend of Culture & Technology

By Athira Laji

he dramatic change that

Trummy has undergone owing to the boom in technology and internet, has made it immensely popular, especially the cash games. However, with money one becomes sceptical; so, it is utmost important to have a platform that is trust-worthy and widely acknowledged credibility. We ended up speaking to the head of such a credible platform which is also said to be India’s only ISO 9001:2015 certified gaming platform, Amit Kushwaha - Head Brand Strategy – Gameskraft. Their RummyCulture platform was launched with the sole aim of boosting the rummy status in India.

How did the journey of Rummy Culture begin with?

RummyCulture was launched under Gameskraft in 2017. Our aim and games are simple and clear - a premium and hassle-free rummy playing experience on our website, android, and iOS app. Rummy was chosen as our launch game owing to its rich history and popularity in India. We also saw an underlying opportunity in the way other major platforms were operating at the time. Furthermore, we

realised that we could improve the gaming experience for our users by using tech intervention at each stage, thus resulting in higher gameplay.

Amit Kushwaha

What were the steps taken to secure game and be a recipient of such a certification?

Our aim was always to provide a seamless and most trustworthy experience to our players and ISO certification is a big milestone in our path of making it possible.

To build the trust factor, some steps and platform enhancement we performed are: • RNG verified platform • Limit daily and monthly add cash; we do not allow users to add more cash on the platform than the set limit • History feature allows users to see their last 5 games to improve performance • Instant withdrawal using

IMPS and UPI • 24/7 customer support in multiple languages makes us the only platform which gives customer support to all users irrespective of their gameplay value • A minimum distance of 1 Km is maintained between the player on the same game table • Player profile verification to ensure one is playing with real players and not bots

What makes RummyCulture unique?

RummyCulture was started by a bunch of passionate gamers, from premier institutes like IITs, IIT-BHU, ISB, IIMs, and NSIT. With tech in our DNA, we want to solve every problem using technology so that there is less human intervention, and the solutions are highly scalable. During the making of RummyCulture,

we looked at player operations and found that there were a lot of technical gaps that needs to be filled. We were the first to launch the Instant withdrawal feature in the category along with the history feature where users can check their last 5 games. This inclination towards technology and high customer centricity makes us a game apart in the segment.

How secure and eamless are the transactions on Rummy Culture?

We realised very early that secure and seamless transactions were an important parameter for every user. We have put up the best of systems and reliable payment platforms like UPI, Paytm, Payu, Visa, Mastercard, Rupay, and Amazon Pay to ensure that transactions are safe and secure.

What was the result of Champions ka Culture campaign?

The association and the overall campaign bought us good number. There has been a 50% jump in website visits, healthy growth in google searches as well as CTRs on our all-digital campaigns. Our digital mentions saw an increase of more than 100% and we had a strong association between RummyCulture and a positive perception of it being akin to a champion platform. This campaign was not just for RummyCulture alone; we did this to reduce the negativity around Rummy, and wanted people to see it as a sport and game of skill. We have the bestin-class engagement numbers with the help of influencers.

How are your player retention numbers looking?

Through our internal analysis of repeat players, we have noticed that player retention in the gaming segment is highly correlated to game play experience and trust factor. So, we took various steps to enhance both these parameters – the results talk. Options like 24/7 customer care support for all players irrespective of their play value, the history features, and fraud-stopping mechanisms helps us build higher trust and helps in better player retention.

How was 2020 -2021 for RummyCulture?

2020 and 2021 will be known for the biggest uncertainty it has thrown at everyone. No doubt, it has helped the gaming industry as other options of recreation and leisure was shut which made people turn towards gaming, but this has also made companies look more seriously towards gameplay experience and other crucial parameters. Many players who did not fare well on gameplay, saw a drop in their user base as soon as lockdown eased. But we were able to hold our ground even post lockdown. manner we can.

What is the ‘Survival of the fittest’ story?

These are unheard and unprecedented times for everyone including us and this is something that cannot be planned for. But as a team, we are proud to say that we changed our strategies very quickly to address and adapt to the new conditions and implemented them smoothly which allowed our platform to face challenging times with minimum jerks. We did not notice any impact on player experience, gameplay, or any other operational issue which could affect the player’s experience.

How would you sketch out a plan for your company post the COVID-19 era?

We are a young organisation looking for various avenues to fuel our growth. We noticed healthy growth before the lockdown and was able to sustain that momentum even post that. Good growth numbers come in from the western and northern parts of the country and we are continuing to look for new opportunities in various markets. Moreover, we strongly believe that if we can change the perception of rummy and bring positivity around it, the game will gain more popularity will help us in the long run. Thus, instead of just focussing on the growth of RummyCulture, our focus will be on the overall growth of Rummy also.

In what ways did you contribute towards bettering the present condition of the economy?

As a proud socially responsible corporation, we keep doing our bit along with various NGOs to support people in whichever