During the early stages of the pandemic in India, the number of people listening to podcasts (both fictional and otherwise) and audio books increased sharply. Obviously, the lack of other entertainment options was a factor but also, this was a fast-growing segment that just happened to receive an unexpected boost due to widespread lockdowns and people staying home. Now, young people, especially in big cities like New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru, are incorporating their favourite podcasts and audio stories into their daily routines — somebody wants to listen to personal finance wisdom while working out in the morning, while others want to listen to love stories while they cook dinner.
Keeping these varied interests in mind, Audible India recently announced a bunch of collaborations with OTT producers like The Viral Fever (TVF) and Dice Media. The former is known for shows like Tripling, Permanent Roommates, Kota Factory, etc., while the latter’s smash hit show Little Things is now on Netflix. Speaking about these collaborations over a phone call, Shailesh Sawlani, the Country Head for Audible India, mentioned how they informed their overall strategy. “It’s certainly one of the pillars. We are looking to do more collaborations, whether it’s producers, directors or other storytellers. If you look at the OTT space, TVF and Dice Media have a ‘captive’ base of viewers. Shows like Permanent Roommates and Little Things have loyal followings,” he says, adding, “I’d also bring up a couple of our shows that I feel build on the credentials and the know-how of their creators. We did a show called Darmiyaan with Ekta Kapoor and Balaji Telefilms, and Psycho Saiyaan with Rohan Sippy, who directed Bluffmaster.”
