MAM
American agency CAA sets foot in India through JV with Kwan
MUMBAI: After IMG and Platinum Rye Entertainment, Los Angeles-based top talent management agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has set foot in the Indian market through a joint-venture with Mumbai-based celebrity and sports management agency Kwan Entertainment.
The JV will represent local talent in India and the SAARC nations to create global opportunities for clients in the areas of motion pictures and television (including packaging and sales), music, commercial endorsements, sports consulting, licensing and merchandising, live events, and business development.
CAA‘s India entry was only a matter of time as the agency had set the stage in February by signing Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra. Its Indian roster also includes Golden Globe-nominated director Shekhar Kapur.
The development comes close on the heels of another American agency Platinum Rye Entertainment picking 50 per cent stake in Mahesh Bhupathi-promoted Globosport‘s Brand Advisory Business.
Earlier, New York-based fashion, sports and talent management company IMG Worldwide had entered into a 50/50 joint-venture with India‘s biggest business house Reliance Industries to form IMG Reliance.
The JV will be led by CAA‘s David Taghioff and Caleb Franklin, along with KWAN CEO and MD Anirban Das Blah and COO Indranil Das Blah. The new company, with more than 60 employees, will be based in Mumbai, with offices in Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.
Anirban Das Blah was formerly with Globosport as its chief executive officer and has been credited with setting up the agency successfully. After quitting Globosport, Anirban started out on his own with KWAN along with Indranil Das Blah.
CAA president Richard Lovett said, “India‘s robust entertainment industry offers CAA KWAN tremendous opportunities for talent across multiple platforms. In a very short period of time, KWAN has intelligently scaled and diversified their business to maximize this thriving marketplace for their clients. KWAN‘s deep network of relationships, local-market knowledge, and collaborative business philosophy make them a powerful partner in furthering CAA‘s existing business in India and providing our clients with more opportunities.”
Blah said, “We believe that the combination of CAA‘s experience, influence, and expertise, with KWAN‘s extensive knowledge of the Indian entertainment industry, will enable us to provide an unmatched spectrum of services for our clients.”
MAM
Bob Iger joins Thrive Capital as adviser after Disney exit
Former Disney CEO returns to VC firm, stays on as Disney adviser till 2026.
MUMBAI: From castles to capital, Bob Iger isn’t done building just changing the blueprint. Bob Iger has taken on an advisory role at Thrive Capital, marking a return to the New York-based venture firm he briefly joined in 2022. Founded in 2009 by Josh Kushner, Thrive Capital has been positioning itself at the intersection of technology and long-term value creation, an area where Iger’s experience in scaling global entertainment businesses is expected to add weight. Kushner, 40, welcomed Iger back, highlighting his ability to blend technology with human-centric storytelling, particularly in an era increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence.
Iger is no stranger to Thrive. He had earlier joined the firm as a venture partner in September 2022, after stepping down as CEO of The Walt Disney Company and concluding his tenure as executive chairman in 2021. That stint, however, was short-lived. In November 2022, Disney’s board brought him back to steady the ship, replacing Bob Chapek following a turbulent period for the company.
Now, with his latest exit from Disney’s top job last month, Iger appears to be revisiting the venture world, this time with a clearer runway. Still, the Disney chapter isn’t entirely closed. Under his agreement with the company, he will remain until the end of 2026 as a senior adviser to new CEO Josh D’Amaro and will continue to serve on the board for his current term.
The move comes as venture firms increasingly seek operators with deep industry experience to navigate what Kushner described as “the most consequential technology shift” of the era, driven by AI. For Iger, whose career has hinged on blending creativity with scale, the transition from Hollywood to high-growth investing seems less like a pivot and more like a plot twist.
