Vamsi Murthy joins Netflix India to script next chapter in marketing

MUMBAI: He’s helped Indians travel smarter, shop sharper, and stream bigger and now he’s ready to binge on his boldest role yet. Marketing veteran Vamsi Murthy has joined Netflix India as senior director and head of marketing, where he will lead the platform’s creative and brand strategy across one of the streaming giant’s fastest-growing markets.

Murthy, who comes with nearly two decades of experience shaping marquee Indian consumer brands, will oversee Netflix’s marketing charter in India blending data, storytelling, and culture to fuel the streamer’s next phase of local growth. “Here’s to stories that connect, entertain, and inspire, the Netflix way,” Murthy shared while announcing his move.

Before joining Netflix, Murthy led marketing at Disney+ Hotstar, where he redefined entertainment marketing for the OTT era. His three-year stint saw him spearhead full-funnel campaigns that drove both brand love and subscriptions, revamping Hotstar’s marketing playbook across fiction, non-fiction, and sports. Under his watch, the platform’s ROI and customer acquisition costs improved significantly, while its sporting campaigns, especially for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2024 cemented Hotstar’s status as India’s home of cricket.

Murthy was also the creative force behind several Hotstar Originals, including Aarya, Special Ops, Criminal Justice, Koffee with Karan, and Taaza Khabar campaigns that struck a rare balance between critical acclaim and cultural buzz. His efforts earned recognition at Promax Asia, Kyoorius, and the Indian Telly Streaming Awards, positioning him among India’s most innovative entertainment marketers.

Before his Hotstar innings, Murthy helmed marketing at Bookmyshow, leading the brand through the pandemic by reviving its cinema ticketing business and driving live events into the spotlight. He also served as vice president for marketing at Zee5, where he led audience growth for its AVOD content vertical.

At Myntra, Murthy’s five-year journey saw him shape the brand’s voice at the intersection of fashion and technology. As director of brand marketing, he crafted consumer outreach and visual identity strategies that helped Myntra emerge as a style-first lifestyle destination.

Murthy’s marketing roots trace back to Makemytrip, where he spent over four years defining the travel brand’s communication strategy, social storytelling, and identity. His early career at Reliance Communications and Radio Mirchi gave him the foundation to navigate both the creative and commercial sides of India’s fast-evolving consumer market.

Across roles, Murthy has built a reputation for blending insight-driven storytelling with measurable business impact, a mix tailor-made for Netflix’s content-driven universe.

With his move, Netflix gains a marketer fluent in India’s language of entertainment, someone who’s helped build fandoms from cricket to couture and now steps onto the country’s biggest streaming stage.

For Murthy, the reel has come full circle from crafting campaigns about what Indians love to watch, to shaping how India watches itself on screen.