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Tag: Viplove Gupte

  • Audio streaming platform Eshtory readies for an aggressive push

    Audio streaming platform Eshtory readies for an aggressive push

    MUMBAI: Even as many a player is rushing into the video streaming platform space,  here’s one which is stepping into audio streaming. Called Eshtory, it is founded by former MyFM CEO Harrish Bhatia, radio vet Viplove Gupte, and sales vet Nilesh Kadam. At some stage or the other the trio was employed at MyFM, which was a part of the Dainik Bhaskar group. 

    Funding has come their way through strategic investments from Abhijit Realtors founder Abhijit Majumdar and Radio Orange CEO Inu Majumdar, who has also taken on the position of  chairperson of OrangeGlobal Stories, the firm behind Eshtory. 

    Nitin Gadkari launching the logo of Eshtory

    Eshtory’s logo was unveiled by minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari in Nagpur recently. Scheduled for launch in January 2025, the app promises to offer  listeners a seamless and immersive experience with original, high-quality, compelling narratives. Beyond entertainment, the platform will serve as a hub for homegrown storytellers, showcasing regional tales to global audiences and fostering a vibrant ecosystem of creative talent, says the company. 

    OrangeGlobal Stories co-founder Bhatia  pointed out that the team is not just building a platform, it is flagging off a movement. He expounded: “We are united by a shared vision to celebrate the boundless power of imagination and creativity. In a fast-paced world, stories have the power to inspire, entertain, and connect. Through Eshtory our mission is to transform storytelling into an immersive experience, delivering original fiction that resonates across cultures and geographies. We aim to redefine how stories are told and experienced. We aim to bring voices from every corner of the world to light, offering narratives that are original, fresh, and unforgettable.” 

    The company says it  has kept aside a marketing and digital promotion  war chest of $36 million to be spent  over the next three years to build up its user base. This strategic allocation aims to enhance the platform’s reach and engagement via, large-scale brand awareness, advanced digital strategies, targeted ad campaigns and tailored content promotion. 

    Eshtory homepage

    They will need all the muscle  power they can muster.  The Indian audio streaming marketing is teeming with competition with the likes of Audible from Amazon, Pocket FM, Kuku FM, Pratilipi among others. But the good part is the global audio storytelling market is expected to grow to $53.46 billion by 2032, with strong contributions from emerging markets like India and rapid growth in the Asia-Pacific region. In India, the convergence of affordable data, widespread smartphone penetration, and evolving consumer preferences has propelled the audio OTT sector into a high-growth trajectory. 

    Amid this momentum, the company says,  it is uniquely positioned to fill critical gaps in the market. By prioritising quality and originality, the platform says, it will stand apart in a space often dominated by tech-driven approaches, offering listeners a reimagined storytelling experience that caters to both local and global audiences. With India emerging as a creative hub for diverse storytelling, OrangeGlobal Stories seeks to redefine the audio landscape by showcasing compelling narratives that resonate across cultures and geographies. .

    Added OrangeGlobal Stories chairperson Majumdar: “As an ardent enthusiast of audio entertainment and the only female CEO leading a radio channel in India, I am incredibly  confident that the team will be able to redefine the storytelling experience.  OrangeGlobal Stories is not just a platform but a testament to our commitment to delivering the finest audio content that resonates deeply with listeners.” 

    Now, it’s up to the audience to listen. 

  • Bhaskar Group launches MY FM in Chandigarh

    Bhaskar Group launches MY FM in Chandigarh

    MUMBAI: Bhaskar Group announced the launch of its second FM station in Chandigarh. The group’s first station was launched in Jaipur in May 2006.

    The music of MY FM – Chandigarh ranges from popular Hindi film music to Indipop. Keeping the local listenership in mind, Punjabi pop, fusion, remixes, retro music and evergreen ghazals will also be part of its music mix. The tag line of the FM station is MY FM 94.3 Dil Sey.

    The station promises on the hour, every hour contests for its listeners while the weekend programming will have shows like Boss ka Boss featuring the better half of a corporate honcho, Sunday Ki Awaaz which allows one lucky winners to be an RJ for a special Sunday show, My Mehfil for the lovers of ghazals and Dhol Wajda playing the best of Punjabi pop.

    My FM national programming head Viplove Gupte says, “MY FM is going to be one of the most exciting brands to watch out for in the radio business. My FM is uniquely placed in the FM arena with presence of Print linkages with the dominant Newspaper in terms of Dainik Bhaskar and Divya Bhaskar.

    The FM will leverage this to provide interactive radio programming and a 360-degree experience for the listener. We expect My FM to soon cultivate a large unique set of loyal listener community.”

    Says MY FM station head Richa Sharma “Chandigarh is a unique city and to have its own private radio station will push the city among the top league of like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and others. My FM is value for money to its advertisers by offering customized solutions and focused audience. Even today the reach of radio is more than that of television.”

    MY FM will be launching soon in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Nagpur, Raipur, Jabalpur, Bilaspur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Kota, Ahmedabad, Surat, Amritsar & Jalandhar.

  • MyFM station moves to new frequency 94.3 FM

    MyFM station moves to new frequency 94.3 FM

    MUMBAI: Bhaskar Group’s first FM station MyFM has moved to its new frequency 94.3 from today. Earlier MyFM was operating on the 106 FM that was given by the government.

    Says MyFM national programming head Viplove Gupte, “Frequency and the station name are two prime identifier with the FM station, they speak a language of attitude that the listeners empathize with and thus builds the brand.”

    According to an official release, he said, “In normal course a change in frequency would create a setback. But when you have a product that matches with listeners taste – epitomizing the attitude ‘dil se’ – it’s the listeners miss the content / programme much before the radio station misses them.

    “Its they, who seek out the content and in the process their favourite radio station. MyFM fortunately has reached this level of comfort on programming and activation- result of knowing their listeners’s pulse, their ambitions, desires and most importantly their inner self- what translate and means Dil se.”

    Bhaskar Group communication head Sanjeev Kotnala believes, “At the end of the day – listeners get attached to at least one or maximum two frequencies – stations as their priority set. And it is for these stations to continuously perform for their listeners- to prevent any outsider to join the club.

    “A listener will tune in to your frequency till you do not give him a reason to shift to another frequency. So the game is all about the listener’s choice and you’re realizing and acting on them. It’s all in the programming just like the content in a newspaper that makes or breaks a station. And this could be a very simplistic way of placing the complex 24 hour clock work of a FM station”

    Presently MyFM has initiated a ground level ‘Kaan marodo’ campaign which asks people to tweak Kaan (dial) and tune in to the new frequency. Also the media communication exercises listeners to smoothly move over from 106 to 94.3FM, informs the release.