Mumbai: Indiagames and the E-Sports Council of India announced the formation of India’s first professional gaming team – Indian Inferno.

Team Indian Inferno comprises Rueben Pereira, Mikhail Mehra with Amar Ratnam, Ritesh Shah, Ben Varghese and Pranay Bhatia. This team won the World Cyber Games-India event in 2007 in addition to winning other gaming tournaments across India.

Indiagames CEO Vishal Gondal said, "This is the first time that an Indian team will be managed at every stage of their gaming career. Amar, Ben, Mikhail, Pranay, Ritesh and Rueben are extremely talented and we are sure that with the right professional guidance and exposure, they would be able to make a mark for India on the international competitive gaming scene."

Said Pereira, "I have been associated with Indiagames for a long time now. They have played a key role in supporting me and shaping my career as a competitive gamer."

Adds Counter Strike Team captain Mikhail Mehra, "Being professionally managed is going to help us concentrate on improving our gaming skills, while the team atmosphere helps keep the competitive and motivational forces active."

As part of the agreement, Indian Inferno will represent Indiagames in both national and international gaming tournaments as well as conduct nationwide gaming workshops for aspiring gamers. In addition to Indian Inferno, Indiagames also intends to support city-specific gaming teams.