I have 500 engineers ready to build the next generation Sports AI company from India, for the world: Harsh Jain

Dream11 co-founder Harsh Jain has acknowledged that his company is undergoing one of its toughest phases, but added that resilience alongside optimism and long-term vision will help chart their future course of actions, which involves the ambition of building a sports AI company rooted in India.

“We’re living through our darkest times.”#Dream11 Founder-CEO Harsh Jain bares all in a CNBC-TV18 Exclusive.
From possible layoffs, to pulling the plug on sponsorships & endorsements, to pivoting out of trouble.

Catch the entire show at 7:30 PM pic.twitter.com/Wkgl7PcIsJ

— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) August 25, 2025

“When we found a business model on Dream11 for years, we had rejections for anyone to invest and so we’ve had a lot worse. And we have to remember those times and be grateful for what we’ve built so far, and be grateful that today, this is definitely one of the darkest times for us and has a very deep implication, and we are in a hole. But we are in the hole with an amazing team of people, with an amazing set of investors, with some capital in the bank that can keep us going for the next few years, with a brand that is loved and trusted by a lot of people, and at a time where AI is going to disrupt everything, and I have 500 engineers available and ready to deploy on building the next generation sports AI company from India for the world,” Jain said.

He added, “So yes, I may be a bit delusional. Yes, I am an eternal optimist, and we have to find a way to put the past behind us and focus squarely on the future, which is why we will not be challenging this law that the government has put into place. We will be law abiding. We will focus on the future and just restart and rebuild for India.”

Dream11 halted all paid contests on its fantasy gaming platform due to the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025, and the company has now pivoted to free-to-play online social games. The law prohibits online money games, which amounted to 95 per cent of the group’s revenues and 100 per cent of the profits coming from their cash-based contests. Dream Sports had reported operational revenue of Rs 6,384.49 crore for the FY23, up from Rs 3,841 crore in FY22.

Jain has also categorically denied fighting the government against the law. Ever since the bill was passed, he has maintained that his is a law-abiding company, and that he believes in building for the future and won’t put his time into locking horns with the government on something that they do not want.