ROHAN NAYAK
Pocket Entertainment’s Rohan Nayak says its AI tool helped writers create IP worth $100 million
Nayak described Sherpa as a long-form, serialised fiction writing harness. It combines a planner that maps arcs and scenes, a structured memory that tracks what each character knows, and a prose engine that drafts scenes while critic models check for continuity and quality.
AI could disrupt traditional entertainment studio model as production costs fall
Artificial intelligence is revolutionising the landscape of entertainment production, offering creators remarkable cost savings. Smaller production companies can now bring projects to life while maintaining their intellectual property rights. With generative AI at the forefront, content creation in areas like audio and microdramas is already gaining momentum. This shift is predicted to ripple across film and high-quality scripted series, leading to significant growth in innovation and content output.
Coforge row deepens; MDR on UPI coming soon
Coforge’s boardroom brouhaha has taken a new turn days after chairman Om Prakash Bhatt’s resignation. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.
Pocket FM parent crosses $500 million ARR driven by AI content, overseas expansion
The Bengaluru-based company added $250 million in net ARR in the past 12 months and is Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) positive, the founder claimed. In April itself it had touched an ARR of $450 million.
Pocket Entertainment crosses $500 million revenue run rate, says AI is reshaping content creation
Pocket Entertainment has achieved a $500 million revenue run rate, showing significant growth. Pocket FM, its audio drama platform, drives this expansion and improved retention. The company utilizes AI extensively for content creation and market launches. Over 550,000 creators contribute to Pocket FM's vast library. This growth enables stories to reach listeners across many countries and languages.
Flipkart launches microdrama on main app to drive platform engagement
The vertical is placed within Flipkart's main ecommerce app under 'Play' – which has a content-led shopping discovery platform ‘Explore’ and microdrama vertical ‘Drama’. The move is intended to attract users to the platform and boost engagement ahead of the upcoming festive season.
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India’s microdramas could soon play the consolidation script as retention trumps acquisition
The landscape of India's microdrama industry is evolving, shifting from an emphasis on acquiring users to nurturing and monetizing them. Currently, active paying users represent a small fraction of the total users. Analysts predict that the market will converge around a few dominant firms as they navigate global competition and find ways to lower production expenses. To thrive, platforms must prioritize user engagement and sustainable revenue streams.
Pocket FM elevates Lalit Gangwar as COO to lead global operations
In his new role, Lalit Gangwar will lead the company’s audio vertical as it expands internationally and oversee business operations and monetisation, the company said in a release.
Pocket FM elevates Lalit Gangwar as COO to drive global scale-up
Pocket FM has appointed Lalit Gangwar as Chief Operating Officer. He will now lead the company's global audio business. This move supports Pocket FM's international expansion plans. Gangwar was instrumental in the platform's growth in India and its US market entry. The company aims for predictable, long-term growth.
Pocket FM hits $450 million ARR in April after accelerating AI-led content creation
Pocket FM hits $200 million ARR after six years of operations in Q4 of FY25, and it achieved about $400 million ARR in Q4 of FY26. Currently, the platform has over 300,000 creators producing more than 80,000 hours of content monthly.
Pocket FM, Arka Mediaworks to launch new Baahubali audio series
Pocket FM and Arka Mediaworks are expanding the Baahubali universe with a new 250-episode audio story. Set in Maahishmathi, the series aims to captivate both existing fans and new listeners with high-quality production. This collaboration marks a significant step in reimagining iconic Indian IPs for audio-first audiences.
Audio entertainment gains ground as daily listening surges: Survey
A recent survey by Pocket FM reveals audio series are gaining significant traction in India, particularly among young adults. Nearly half of listeners consume over 10 episodes daily, dedicating substantial time to genres like drama and romance. The preference for episodic audio dramas over other audio formats is high, with Hindi leading in language consumption, followed by regional languages.
Pocket FM cuts production cost using AI, generates over 50,000 shows
Pocket FM has significantly cut production costs using its AI systems, generating over 50,000 AI-driven shows. This transformation has boosted creator efficiency tenfold, enabling faster content creation without sacrificing quality. The company reported substantial revenue growth and profitability in core markets, with strong performance in Europe, positioning it to lead the expanding audio entertainment sector.
Pocket FM logs 68% revenue growth in FY25
Audio series platform Pocket FM reported Rs 1,768 crore in FY25 revenue, up 68%, driven by growth in India, the US, and Europe. With ARR nearing Rs 2,000 crore, the company leverages AI to cut costs and expand content. It now eyes Latin America expansion, despite prior layoffs and ongoing investor discussions.
Pocket FM listeners streamed over 100 billion minutes globally
The report underscores the global appeal of storytelling and immersive audio experiences over the past year. The platform captivated a broad demographic, with 54% of listeners being Gen Z, 37% Millennials, and 5% Gen X. Gender distribution was nearly even, with 53% male and 47% female users.
Pocket FM completes its first ESOP-buyback
Pocket FM, an audio series platform, has completed its first ESOP buyback valued at $8.3 million, allowing former and current employees with vested stocks to participate. Co-founder and CEO Rohan Nayak expressed pride in the team's achievement, highlighting their dedication and innovation despite economic challenges.
Pocket FM to invest $40 million in online reading platform
The initiative intends to promote writers' storytelling through visibility, lifetime earning opportunities, and distribution across various formats. Pocket Novel aims to generate more than $100 million in annualised revenue run rate by 2025, tapping into the potential of India's online novel reading market.
Pocket FM appoints Suyog Gothi as VP and India head
Suyog Gothi was with PhonePe till November 2023, where he headed the merchant lending division and played a key role in scaling up the fintech major’s UPI payments business.
Pocket FM claims global listener base of 130 million
As per Pocket FM's 'Rewind2023: How India Got Entertained This Year' report, the platform had more than 100,000 hours of content, with users spending over 115 minutes daily.
Pocket FM earmarks Rs 250 crore fund for writers contributing to platform
Pocket FM Cofounder and CEO Rohan Nayak said that the audio series as a category has been instrumental for writers, enabling them to share their stories with millions across the world.
PhonePe talent head Subeer Bakshi quits, joins Pocket FM
In his role at Pocket FM, Bakshi will spearhead the buildout of people process and culture anchors that will enable the hyper growth of the company, a company statement said.
Pocket FM to double down on investment
"We aim to double down on our content investments to ₹328 crore. Our target is to expand our content library by 5X in the next 12 months," Pocket FM CEO and co-founder Rohan Nayak told ET. He also said that the company plans to spend 20% of its annual recurring revenue (ARR) on content creation. Pocket FM is looking to achieve ₹820 crore in ARR by the end of 2023.
Audio streaming platform Pocket FM elevates Anurag Sharma to CFO
As CFO, Sharma will assume overall responsibility for Pocket FM's financial operations and shape the company's financial strategy and drive its execution.
Pocket FM secures $16 million in debt funding from Silicon Valley Bank
The company said that with this additional capital infusion, it will look to double its strategic priorities to strengthen its audio series library, expand its creator community globally and accelerate its revenue.
Buoyed by US traction, Pocket FM eyes more global forays
Pocket FM recorded more than $25 million (about Rs 205 crore) annualised revenue run-rate (ARR) as of October 2022. In November last year, the platform launched in the US. And the company decided to lay more emphasis on figuring out the business model to fuel these ambitions.
Audio series leads audience engagement, beats online music, videos: Pocket FM’s #Rewind2022
The observations were released in the Pocket FM #Rewind2022 report that highlights the key consumption and listener community trends on the platform during the year.
Audio platform Pocket FM to make US entry; exceeds $25 million ARR
The platform said it has strengthened its content offerings with 733 audio series which resulted in a 270% increase in audio series — a fictional long-form audio storytelling category.
Audio streaming platform Pocket FM raises $65 million in fresh funding
The platform plans to use the fresh funds to strengthen its leadership position, expand into new languages, investing in AI capabilities and building the largest audio creator community.
Pocket FM raises $22.4 million in Series B funding led by Lightspeed
The startup plans to use the fresh capital to scale up operations, build a community of content creators, expand its presence across geographies and invest in technology for better recommendations.
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