Meet India’s 1st Sports Social Media App ‘Dugout’ Built By A Hyderabad-based IIT-IIM Alumnus; Gets 2 Lakh+ Downloads In Just A Year

In Kakinada, a small coastal town in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasekhar Vaddiraju, then a young cricket enthusiast, dreamt big.

Born into a middle-class family, Rajasekhar chased excellence since school days, blending his love for sports with academic prowess. This passion propelled him to IIT Madras, where he earned a dual bachelor's and master's degree in mechanical engineering by 2015.

Fresh out of engineering college, Rajasekhar dove into the high-stakes world of finance at Futures First in Hyderabad, trading commodities for three intense years.

But ambition called louder; he cracked the gruelling CAT exam in 2018 and secured a spot at the prestigious IIM Calcutta for his MBA.

There, internships and roles at Bajaj Finserv honed his skills in product, marketing, financial analysis, and more, building a successful career with an impressive salary.

Yet, beneath the corporate sheen lurked a childhood dream of entrepreneurship. By March 2024, at just 32, Rajasekhar quit his stable job, betting on his vision despite the dilemma of security versus independence.

With his wife and family firmly behind him, he founded Intracxn Sports Private Limited in June 2024, birthing Dugout—a Hyderabad-based sports-tech startup poised to disrupt the Indian startup ecosystem.

"Entrepreneurship was always my dream. I had a stable and high-paying career, but I felt I was missing the opportunity to build something meaningful for millions of sports fans like me," Rajasekhar reflects.

Spotting the Big Gap: The Origin Story of Dugout

Rajasekhar's epiphany struck amid India's cricket frenzy. As a die-hard fan, he relished the banter and debates with friends during cricket matches, but digital tools fell short.

Legacy sports apps in India lacked vibes and only delivered scores, while social media scattered conversations across multiple platforms. As a result, fans were left without a single, dedicated place to enjoy quality sports time with their friends.

This gap in the sports-tech landscape ignited his idea: a one-stop ‘digital stadium’ where fans are in control.

“Fans struggled to fully enjoy their love for the game—pre-match discussions, post-match banter, and chats with friends were all scattered across multiple apps, which took away from the joy of shared sports moments,” says Rajasekhar Vaddiraju, now the founder & CEO of Dugout.

He envisioned a fan-first platform blending sports apps and social media, empowering users with real-time interactions and community-driven content.

Launched in September 2024, Dugout targeted the global sport app market, projected to grow from USD 5.32 billion in 2025 to USD 13.22 billion by 2034.

Rajasekhar, with the support of his close circle of family and friends, started the venture, to build an aesthetically pleasing app for millennials and Gen Z, who crave interactivity and second-screen content.

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Inside the ‘Digital Stadium’: Redefining Fan Engagement

Dugout transforms passive viewing into an immersive experience. It gives fans a break from the noise, serving up a feed packed with sharp takes, clean memes, timely posts, and banter that really hits home. It’s built so fans can switch off distractions and just enjoy being true sports fans.

Sports aren’t just something to watch—they’re to live and share. On Dugout, those feelings turn into action: fans can rate players, drop hot takes, predict outcomes, and dive into polls.

It’s also where your crew hangs out. Whether you’ve got a few minutes between meetings or a whole evening to chill, Dugout gives you one place to catch up, react, and riff with your squad—before, during, or after the game.

No need to juggle a bunch of apps; just a clean space that keeps everyone connected and puts your love of the game front and center.

"Now is the perfect time for a fan-first platform like Dugout. The creator economy has shot up in the past few years. We’re living in the age of influencers, but most of them are lifestyle-centred. The next big wave is sports influencers, and Dugout is built to empower them," Rajasekhar shares with Startup Pedia, shining light on his vision.

With a growing family of hundreds of creators, Dugout is the place that sets the vibe. Got something to say? Dugout’s the platform for it.

"Creators are at the heart of Dugout. The platform hosts a diverse group of content creators—including analysts, umpires, aspiring commentators, coaches, standup comedians, and journalists—who regularly post reactions, memes, commentary, and expert analysis. Unlike on Instagram, creators on Dugout actually earn based on engagement, without the need to chase brand deals," Rajasekhar notes.

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Trials on the Pitch: The Two Big Challenges

Like any tech launch, Dugout experienced some expected post-release issues—minor latency and UX tweaks—which were quickly resolved.

However, the real challenges emerged in two key areas:-

1. Building a vibrant creator community:

For Dugout to feel like a true digital stadium, the feed must be alive with reactions, memes, sharp analysis, and real-time commentary.

"Building a robust community of sports content creators on our platform who can create content related to live matches in a competitive market has been a challenge for us," admits Rajasekhar Vaddiraju during an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia.

 2. Shifting fan behavior from “match-day only” engagement to daily usage:

Initially, most users opened the app only during matches. Dugout is reshaping this habit by anchoring content around all aspects of the sport—not just the matches— including tournament buzz, selection debates, auction and trade news, team announcements, injury updates, rankings, throwback moments, quizzes, fantasy discussions, and community challenges.

Yet, positive feedback on the Dugout app's stylish UI, fan-led content, and interactive features fueled growth, with over 40,000 downloads in the first six months despite minimal promotion.

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Scaling Up: Growth Strategies, Funding, and Global Ambitions

From humble beginnings, Dugout has exploded, crossing 2 lakh+ downloads in just over a year—witnessing a 400% growth rate in the last six months.

Available on Android and iOS, Dugout boasts 30,000 Monthly Active Users (MAU), with fans averaging 10 minutes daily, proving its appeal among sports enthusiasts.

The Hyderabad-based startup plans to expand into key international markets such as the USA, UK, and UAE, leveraging cricket’s global fanbase.

Pre-revenue for now, it plans monetization through native ads, brand partnerships, and creator campaigns in the booming creator economy.

"As a founder, I believe that in startups, you don’t get just one shot—you keep looking for the right moments to grow. Dugout is at one of those moments. While Dugout is pre-revenue today, we have built a solid revenue playbook. We’re ready to help brands connect with passionate fans through native ads, offering far better economics than traditional OTT sponsorships," Rajasekhar shares, revealing his revenue generation plans.

The Road Ahead: Building a True Gamechanger

With an office in Hyderabad and ambitions spanning continents, this sports-tech startup embodies the spirit of India's evolving startup scene.

"Right now, our coverage is limited to cricket. But our long-term vision is much bigger. We want to move beyond cricket into football, kabaddi, and even e-sports. Also, the AI-enabled personalization experience that we provide is going to get bigger and better in the future," Rajasekhar Vaddiraju envisions a global dominance.

As challenges persist, Dugout’s trajectory hints at a promising legacy for Rajasekhar, redefining how communities connect through passion and technology.

"We have been bootstrapped till now. However, we are now actively looking to bring in a strategic investor-cum-brand ambassador from the Indian sports world who can truly be the face and soul of Dugout. This move is in sync with our goal to hit the milestone of 1 million users by IPL 2026," Rajasekhar concludes.

In a world where sports unite billions, Dugout stands as a testament to one man's dream turning into a digital revolution. The digital stadium is open—are you game?

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