MAM
Believe acquires Entco, expanding reach into india’s live music market
MUMBAI: Believe, the leading technology and artist services company, announced today that it has acquired Entco, an Indian live music production company. The Paris-based company will now offer its roster of artists more comprehensive services and revenue opportunities in one of the world’s fastest-growing music and entertainment markets. Entco is a brand experiential company with a focus on immersive music experiences.
It was founded by Subramanian Iyer, Managing Director, and Warren de Sylva, Creative Director, who will both continue to run operations under Believe. Entco will be rebranded as Believe Entertainment, to be based in Mumbai, where it will closely align live music experiences for brands and consumers with Believe’s growing music distribution, label services and artist services operations in the market. Believe Entertainment will build on Entco’s position as an established player in the industry, with a legacy of award-winning live experiences, music festivals and concerts, led by experts in the field of live music entertainment and branded content, the company has offered a platform of services that include digital content, live performances and sync opportunities.
“Subramanian and Warren have uniquely brought live music experiences that bring artists, brands and consumers together,” said Denis Ladegaillerie, CEO, Believe. “We have been growing quickly to a leadership position in the Indian market, and with Entco’s expertise, Believe will have unparalleled ability to help creators in India build audiences, careers and revenue opportunities.”
“Warren and I created a business we are proud of and the acquisition is a testament to the amazing work of our team,” said Subramanian Iyer, Co-founder and Managing Director, Entco. “This strategic move will bring our artists and brands unprecedented access to the expertise and scale of Believe’s 44 global offices and more than 1,000 professionals.”
“Our vision is to inspire audiences through extraordinary live music experiences and this new step is the perfect opportunity for us to scale up and expand our offering,” said Warren De Sylva Co-founder and Creative Director, Entco. “Believe will amplify what we’re able to provide through the power of one of the true global leaders bringing together technology and services to connect audiences with music.”
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Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
