Pentamedia enters gaming sector with Purple Drop

Alok Agarwal
12 March 2001

With the gaming industry projected to grow to $14.6 billon by 2004 can Indian companies in the software sector afford to stay behind and overlook opportunities?

The answer is obviously no. India’s number one, and the world’s fifth-largest, entertainment graphics major, Pentamedia Graphics, has joined hands with Purple Drop Inc, a Silicon Valley-based interactive media start-up to take advantage of the growing demand for entertainment-based software.

Founded by Mr. Ashok Desai, a 14 year veteran of Silicon Graphics and a former employee of Pentamedia Graphics Ltd., Purple Drop is currently producing next generation graphics for games, entertainment, marketing and educational media. Its team comprising of artists, producers and engineers develop and use emerging graphic design and production technologies, from 2D and 3D animation techniques to CGI and film SFX, to provide an expansive offering of services and products. Located in the world-renowned centre of technology, Silicon Valley, Purple Drop specialises in end-to-end graphics solution provided through market driven services, products and distribution strategy.

Pentamedia has invested $4 million in Purple Drop, in the form of seed funding and has also transferred a core team of trained professionals to Purple Drop. Talking to domain-b on the motives behind making this investment Dr V Chandrasekaran, chairman Purple Drop Inc and chairman and chief executive, Pentamedia Graphics, said, "This alliance will enable us to further broaden our base in the entertainment and graphics industry. Though returns on this investment may not be much in the short term, huge gains are likely to accrue in the next two to three years."

Dr. Chandrasekaran added that this investment was part of the company’s strategy to respond to the exciting needs of the entertainment industry, where the company had already forged many alliances in the recent past. He said Pentamedia’s involvement in Purple Drop is a proof of its belief that the time is right to dwell deeper into the high-end graphics industry and pursue it as a focussed entity.

Speaking to domain-b, Mr. Desai of Purple Drop said, "Time has come for India to venture into radically new business opportunities. We plan to leverage India’s inherent technology strengths as well as existing knowledge and expertise from the traditional business in entertainment and graphics and use these to chart a new paradigm for the industry in interactive entertainment and online gaming." He said gaming industry, as an interactive entertainment sector, was becoming a stepping stone for other technologies.