MAM
Advertisers, take a bite from this audio pie
MUMBAI: India, in the middle of a digital boom, has seen a stupendous growth in the OTT industry. Once considered a traditional audio-video market, India is increasingly taking to digital platforms for entertainment. The audio industry is the next big thing in the Indian OTT world. As revealed by IFPI Global Music Report 2019, which surveyed music consumers aged 16–64 across nine geographical locations in India, 97 per cent of the respondents admitted to listening to music on their smartphones.
Gaana CEO Prashan Agarwal says, “Currently more than 225 million users in India are consuming music online. The Indian music streaming industry is booming, and the market will grow to 400 million monthly active users in the next two years. As the country’s go-to music app, our users are streaming over 3.5 billion songs every month.”
IVM Podcast spokesperson also notes that audio platforms in India are increasing in popularity every day. “Currently in India, there are 200-300 million subscribers on OTT music streaming platforms and approximately 10 million listeners for podcasts.”
This makes for a good opportunity for advertisers to tap this gold mine of communication to reach their target consumers as the same report reveals that 86 per cent of consumers engage with on-demand streaming services for their music. Subscription streaming revenues grew by 33.3 per cent from Rs 73.2 crore to Rs 292.8 crore and ad-supported audio streaming income rose by 43.6 per cent to Rs 78 crore to Rs 257 crore in 2018.
Agarwal says that platforms like Gaana empower advertisers to connect to the consumers at a personal level, enabling them to create hyper-personalised ads in real-time by tagging parts of commercial scripts to create and serve relevant ads. Gaana also offers a suite of advertising opportunities including premium dynamic ads that can be fully customised based on the advertiser’s specific requirements.
Podcasts, which are an equally dynamic category experiencing mammoth growth online, also provide a great platform to advertisers. The IVM Podcast spokesperson says, “Those listening to podcasts generally tune in from the beginning of the episode and stay listening till the end. This gives brands immense scope to explore through the timeline of the episode and place their advertisements for greater impact. The audience that tunes in usually falls in the category of tastemakers and influential listeners. Because of this, the advertisers can carry out hyper-targeting to find their exact target group and approach them in a new fashion.”
The audio-industry is at an inflexion point right now and it will be smarter for advertisers to invest in it. It will not only help them reach their target audience at scale but will also provide a better-targeted reach.
Brands
Sun Pharma to acquire Organon in $11.75 billion deal at $14 per share
Acquisition to create $12.4 billion pharma giant with global scale and biosimilars push
MUMBAI: Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Organon & Co. in an all-cash deal valued at $11.75 billion, marking one of the largest cross-border pharma acquisitions by an Indian firm.
Under the terms of the agreement, Organon shareholders will receive $14.00 per share in cash, with Sun Pharma set to acquire 100 per cent of the company’s outstanding shares. The transaction, approved by the boards of both companies, is expected to close in early 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and shareholder consent.
The deal significantly expands Sun Pharma’s global footprint and strengthens its position across women’s health, biosimilars, and branded generics. The combined entity is projected to generate revenues of around $12.4 billion, placing it among the top 25 pharmaceutical companies globally.
Organon, which was spun off from Merck in 2021, brings a portfolio of over 70 products spanning women’s health and general medicines, with operations across more than 140 countries. Its established presence in key markets such as the US, Europe, and China complements Sun Pharma’s existing strengths and growth ambitions.
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited executive chairman Dilip Shanghvi said, “This transaction represents a significant opportunity for Sun Pharma to build on its vision of reaching people and touching lives. Organon’s portfolio, capabilities and global reach are highly complementary to our own.”
Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited managing director Kirti Ganorkar added, “This transaction is a logical next step in strengthening Sun Pharma’s global business. Together, we will become a partner of choice for acquiring and launching new products.”
From Organon’s side, Organon & Co. executive chair Carrie Cox noted, “This all-cash transaction offers compelling and immediate value to Organon stockholders, while positioning the business for continued growth under Sun Pharma.”
Strategically, the acquisition gives Sun Pharma entry into the global biosimilars space as a top 10 player and strengthens its innovative medicines portfolio, which is expected to contribute around 27 per cent of combined revenues. The deal is also expected to nearly double EBITDA and cash flow, supporting long-term deleveraging and investment capacity.
Sun Pharma plans to fund the acquisition through a mix of internal accruals and committed financing from global banks, while maintaining focus on disciplined integration and operational continuity post-merger.
If completed as planned, the deal signals a clear shift in India’s pharmaceutical ambitions, from scale at home to leadership on the global stage, with Sun Pharma positioning itself as a more diversified and innovation-led healthcare powerhouse.
