MAM
VAMA.app strengthens leadership with new CTO, CBO appointments
Mumbai: VAMA.app, a virtual platform transforming the traditional offline Mandir ecosystem into a digital realm, announces the expansion of its leadership team with the appointment of Divick Kishore as chief technology officer (CTO) and Nitin Saxena, previously instrumental within the organisation, ascends to the role of chief business officer- operations & partnership. These strategic hires mark a significant milestone for VAMA.app as it endeavours to fortify its technological infrastructure and propel innovation.
As the CTO of VAMA.app, Divick will leverage his extensive expertise to drive technological innovation, enhance product offerings, and accelerate the platform’s evolution in the digital spiritual services landscape. Nitin, in his elevated role as chief business officer of operations & partnership, will continue to drive operational efficiencies to new heights, enrich VAMA.app’s strategic partnerships, and spearhead initiatives that will solidify the platform’s presence in the market and fuel its ascent.
Commenting on bolstering the leadership team, VAMA.app co-founder Manu Jain said, “The future of the astrology and Religious Tech market in India is on a trajectory of exponential growth. The foundational shift in consumer behaviour towards digital spirituality, bolstered by our innovative platform, sets the stage for this expansion. With Divick and Nitin’s impressive backgrounds and visionary leadership, we are poised to propel VAMA.app into its next phase of expansion. Our aim is to enhance the technological infrastructure and business strategies to better serve the digital and spiritual needs of our growing user base.”
Speaking on his appointment at VAMA.app, Divick Kishore said, “Joining VAMA.app marks the commencement of an exciting chapter where the confluence of opportunity and innovation beckons. I am committed to steering our technological vision towards realising efficiencies and enhancing productivity through the adoption of cutting-edge solutions. Our goal is to elevate the spiritual experience for our users, setting new benchmarks in the digital spirituality realm.”
Further adding to this, Nitin Saxena, said, “It’s exhilarating to further my journey with VAMA.app in this enhanced capacity. The digital transformation of spiritual services offers a unique landscape to innovate and expand. I look forward to deepening our business strategies, cultivating meaningful partnerships, and driving growth that is both sustainable and impactful. Together, we are set to redefine the spiritual journey for our users, ensuring value creation for all stakeholders involved.”
Divick brings over two decades of invaluable experience as a tech entrepreneur, showcasing expertise across diverse technological domains. Divick arrives at VAMA.app with a notable background, including a significant tenure as co-founder and former CTO of InstaAstro, where he was pivotal in scaling the platform’s operations significantly since its inception. Divick’s entrepreneurial prowess is evident in his role in establishing GoRapid Technologies, steering it to significant success before its acquisition by PhonePe. This further highlights his exceptional ability to develop, scale, and lead technology-driven enterprises to triumph. His career journey also includes a leadership stint at Times Internet Limited.
Nitin brings to VAMA.app over two decades of extensive experience spanning various industries including Power, Telecom, ITES, and International Business. He will assume responsibility for overseeing Business Operations and Partnerships. His comprehensive understanding of the D2C business, Go-to-Market Strategy, Mass Retail landscape, Customer Experience Excellence & New Geography Commercial Launches cultivated through extensive engagements across India, Nitin’s distinguished tenure as the Head of Business Development & Expansion to New Geographies at Adani Group driving GTM for launches, streamlining business operations & creating state-of-the-art business processes, coupled with notable accomplishments at Vodafone, underscores his adeptness in driving substantial growth and operational excellence.
Established in late 2020 by visionaries Aacharya Dev, Himanshu Semwal and Manu Jain, VAMA.app has rapidly evolved to redefine the spiritual landscape for its users. With an impressive roster of partnerships that includes over 250 temples and a network of more than 300 astrologers, VAMA.app stands as a beacon of innovation in the faithtech domain. By offering a comprehensive suite of services such as e-pujas, e-darshans, and astrology consultations, VAMA.app caters to a wide array of spiritual needs, firmly establishing itself as a pivotal platform for those seeking to connect with their faith in the digital age.
Digital
Content India 2026 opens with a copro pitch, a spice evangelist and a £10,000 prize for Indian storytelling
Dish TV and C21Media’s three-day summit puts seven ambitious projects before an international jury, and two walk away with serious development money
MUMBAI: India’s content industry gathered in Mumbai this March for Content India 2026, a three-day summit organised by Dish TV in partnership with C21Media, and it wasted no time making a statement. The event opened with a Copro Pitch that put seven scripted and unscripted television concepts before an international panel of judges, and by the end of it, two projects had walked away with £10,000 each in marketing prize money from C21Media to support development and international promotion.
The jury, comprising Frank Spotnitz, Fiona Campbell, Rashmi Bajpai, Bal Samra and Rachel Glaister, evaluated a shortlist that ranged from a dark Mumbai comedy-drama about mental health (Dirty Minds, created by Sundar Aaron) to a Delhi coming-of-age mystery (Djinn Patrol, by Neha Sharma and Kilian Irwin), a techno-thriller about a teenage gaming prodigy (Kanpur X Satori, by Suchita Bhatia), an investigative crime drama blending mythology and modern thriller (The Age of Kali, by Shivani Bhatija), a documentary on India’s spice heritage (The Masala Quest, hosted by Sarina Kamini), a documentary on competitive gaming (Respawn: India’s Esports Revolution, by George Mangala Thomas and Sangram Mawari), and a reality-horror competition merging gaming and immersive fear (Scary Goose, by Samar Iqbal).
The session was hosted by Mayank Shekhar.
The two winners were Djinn Patrol, backed by Miura Kite, formerly of Participant Media and known for Chinatown and Keep Sweet: Pray & Obey, with Jaya Entertainment, producers of Real Kashmir Football Club, also attached; and The Masala Quest, created and hosted by Sarina Kamini, an Indian-Australian cook, author and self-described “spice evangelist.”
The summit also unveiled the Content India Trends Report, whose findings made for bracing reading. Daoud Jackson, senior analyst at OMDIA, set the tone: “By 2030, online video in India will nearly double the revenue of traditional TV, becoming the main driver of growth.” He noted that in 2025, India produced a quarter of all YouTube videos globally, overtaking the United States, while Indians collectively spend 117 years daily on YouTube and 72 years on Instagram. Traditional subscription TV is declining as free TV and connected TV gain ground, forcing broadcasters to innovate. “AI-generated content is just 2 per cent of engagement,” Jackson added, “highlighting the dominance of high-quality human content. The key for Indian media companies is scaling while monetising effectively from day one.”
Hannah Walsh, principal analyst at Ampere Analysis, added hard numbers to the picture. India produced over 24,000 titles in January 2026 alone, with 19,000 available internationally. The country now accounts for 12 per cent of Asia-Pacific content spend, up from 8 per cent in 2021, outpacing both Japan and China. Key exporters include JioStar, Zee Entertainment, Sony India, Amazon and Netflix, delivering over 7,500 Indian-produced titles abroad each year. The top importing markets are Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, the United States and the Philippines. Scripted content dominates globally at 88 per cent, with crime dramas and children’s and family titles performing particularly strongly.
Manoj Dobhal, chief executive and executive director of Dish TV India, framed the summit’s ambition squarely. “Stories don’t need translation. They need a platform, discovery, and reach, local or global,” he said. “India produces more movies than any country, our streaming platforms compete globally, and our tech and creators win international awards. Yet fragmentation slows growth. Producers, platforms, and tech move in different lanes. We need shared spaces, collaboration, and an ecosystem where ideas, technology, and people meet. That is why we built Content India.”
The data, the pitches and the prize money all pointed to the same conclusion: India is not waiting for the world to discover its stories. It is building the infrastructure to sell them.
